Maker of the Undead
by Dannylionthe1st
Summary: Rick's group rescues the remainder of a once powerful group, but soon Rick begins to believe that some people know more about what was going on than they let on. ShanexOC and little DarylxOC
1. They Meet

**A/N: Hey guys. New to this fandom. I love this show and can't wait for the new season. I was thinking of incorporating some of the zombies from the Podcast show "We're Alive". It's an AWESOME show if you haven't heard it. It's like an old radio drama and about zombies. But at this moment, I'll stay with the slow walkers. We'll see what happens. I kind of hate changing certain things about canon. I haven't read the comics so this is base off of the TV show. AU since season 2 started. Anyway, I love all types of zombies so we'll see. Any reviews are welcomed, constructive are always nice.**

**Summary: Rick's group rescues a helpless woman, but soon Rick begins to believe that she knows more about what was going on than she lets on. ShanexOC and little DarylxOC**

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><p>"Father!" a little girl screamed as she ran to a man in a white lab coat. He picked up the ten year old girl and quickly put her into the waiting chopper. Two civilians quickly followed her as the three remaining soldiers tried to find a way to block the door. They were on the roof of one of the buildings in Atlanta.<p>

"Dr. Moreson!" the pilot yelled over at the scientist.

Dr. Moreson looked at the soldiers who desperately tried to keep the roof door from opening. They were a lost cause.

"Let's go!" he shouted as he jumped into the chopper.

"What about the soldiers?" one of the civilians screamed in horror when she realized that they were taking off.

"Do you want to die?" Dr. Moreson shouted back at her.

One of the soldiers seemed to realize that he was going to be left behind. He shouted in anger as he ran for the chopper. Without him to help, the other two couldn't hold the door. It was immediately smashed open. Dr. Moreson gasped in surprise when he saw a rather huge zombie stomp his way onto the roof. This zombie looked as if he was a body builder at one time of his life. His muscles were huge. He grabbed one of the soldiers and tackled her to the ground while the rest of the horde rushed the two remaining.

The one soldier that ran after the chopper jumped to grab the bottom. He barely missed and screamed as he started to fall. Dr. Moreson quickly slammed the door shut and turned to face the pilot. The two civilians quietly sobbed and huddled next to each other.

"Katie!" Dr. Moreson said as he turned his attention to his daughter. She was already strapped into one of the seat. Her eyes fluttered as she gasped for breath. "Oh god, no!" he shouted as he grabbed her and pulled her shirt up. There was a bite on her stomach. "Katie!" he cried as he held her close.

"You have to shoot her in the head!" the vocal one of the civilians shouted at him.

He shook his head. "We have a cure!" he yelled back in his headset. "We're going to where there is a cure and she'll be fine." He held his daughter close as she shuttered then didn't move. He didn't tell the others that she had just died. There was still time. It took roughly 12 hours for someone who has died to come back to life. And it took roughly four hours to get there three hours in the chopper and one by car. There was plenty of time.

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><p>Lilith leisurely rode her crotch rocket. Although it was designed for speed that also meant it wasted a lot of gas. And besides, she was following her group of survivors. She had to keep in pace with them. Which sometimes irritated her. They were going slow to avoid the hazards of the road, but sometimes Lilith just wished they could speed down the highway like they were meant to do.<p>

Their convoy consisted of one minivan, three sedans, a truck, and a tank truck. They had been lucky to find a driver who had to abandon his tank-semi in a small city. It didn't take the group too long to get the truck running. There was still plenty of gas in the truck to last them a while.

As for the group, they had found her in a hospital in a small town near Frankfort, Kentucky. She hadn't been bit but she had been shot in the shoulder. She was glad they found her. They were a perfect group, consisting of a doctor, nurse, three military personal, engineer, the self-proclaimed best car thief in history, along with other people who had various skills that were useful. Lilith felt a little out of place. Almost everyone had a special skill which they used to help their group. She on the other hand was average in almost everything, except fighting. But it didn't help that she could barely move her arm until the past three days. She wasn't a burden to the group, but at the same time she felt like she didn't contribute as much as the others did.

She spotted a sign in her side mirror and sighed.

_Atlanta 100_

They weren't driving toward the city. They had just left it earlier that day. Instead, they were driving in the wrong side of the freeway toward Alabama. They were going to go to Fort Benning after that. They had taken the round about way to get to Atlanta a few days before. Instead of driving straight down to Atlanta, which would have been faster, they drove around. The main purpose was to establish a base of sorts and not bring the entire group, who were about thirty people in total.

There was only one reason why they had driven to Atlanta and not to Fort Benning first. Dr. Ketrick had a friend in the CDC in Atlanta. They had lost contact with that CDC long ago, but Ketrick insisted that his friend was the smartest person alive and that if anyone could find a cure for what was happening then she could. It took him some time to convince the soldier who was in charge of the group. But eventually, everyone agreed.

It was night by the time they had neared Atlanta and they chose to secure an inn to sleep. The city they found was small and slightly out of the way, but it made it easier to kill the walkers that came at them and secure a decent inn. It was the first night in at least a month that they had a decent rest. Sadly, when they arrived at the CDC the next day all they saw was the ruins.

Dr. Ketrick was of course, in a terrible mood. He was already drunk and it was barely noon.

"Lilli?" Matt, the man who had put himself in charge of the group, asked her. They had given her one of their neck-walkies so that she could be in communication with them while she rode her bike.

"Yes, Matt," she responded. She flexed her muscles trying to get the knots out of her healing shoulder. It was almost time for her to ask them to stop so she could ride in a car.

"I need you scout a little ahead. Can't see what's up in that corner," he said.

"Alright," she responded as she went to step on the gas. A rumbling behind her caused her to slow her bike and turn to look. A helicopter was behind her.

"Matt?" she screamed. "There is a chopper…" She stopped talking when a chill ran down her spine. It was flying far too low. It was going to crash into her convoy.

"Pilot of the helicopter, pull up. This is Lt. Gonzalez… oh shit! Drive!" he shouted as he yelled at the driver of the van.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Lilli slammed on her breaks as did the rest of the convoy. That was a mistake. The chopper hit the semi, ripping it apart and causing it to explode. The cars were caught in the explosion from the tanker. One of the chopper's blades hit the ground and split off, flying toward Lilli. She screamed as she jumped off her bike. The blade hit her bike, sending it flying into the ditch as the chopper finally exploded.

Lilith screamed in horror as she took a step back. She found herself flying in the air as a warm wave of air slammed into her. She slammed into the asphalt and lost consciousness.

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><p>Lilith's eyes snapped open as she took in a deep breath. Her body screamed for more air and she quickly took off her helmet. "Fuck," she shouted as she looked around. She lay in the middle of freeway and her bike as a good ten feet beside her. Slowly, she staggered to her feet. She had been knocked out for a while. The once powerful flames of the various car explosions had died down to almost embers.<p>

"Matt?" Lilli tried to call out, but her voice was barely above a whisper.

The freeway itself was surrounded by trees and there were only two lanes. There was no way that any car could pass through the wreckage. It seemed like a death trap. The way the freeway turned made it impossible for other cars to see the wreck until they were too far in.

Carefully, she ran her hands over her body and took stock of herself. She had no injures that she could feel. Her body was sore, but nothing seemed to be broken. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. But only jumbled memories invaded her mind.

Lilli frowned as she limped toward the helicopter. Why did it crash? Why did it aim straight for the convoy? She saw that it had veered to crash in the woods, but then suddenly turned and crashed into the cars instead.

"Anyone?" she shouted as she neared the crash.

Something pounded on a car door, making her jump in surprise. She saw movement in one of the vehicles. "Don't worry!" she shouted as she limped toward it. Her body still protested her movements. Just as she neared it she slowed down. The person inside stared at her, before opening his mouth and slamming his head against the glass. Her eyes widened in horror. She knew exactly what had happened.

Lilli started walking backwards, refusing to take her eyes off the creature inside the car. "Oh no," she said to herself in fear. She clenched her hands in anger, shaking her head at her knowledge. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the thing in the car that continued to bang his head against the window. She turned then screamed in surprise.

A zombie rushed at her and grabbed her. She had been so focused on the one inside the car that she didn't notice the other one slowly making its way toward her. It wrapped its hands on her shoulders and extended its neck to get closer to biting her. Lilli screamed again as she lost her balance and fell onto the asphalt.

Pain rushed down her body as her head slammed against the road. She ignored the pain as she struggled to keep the zombie away. It was incredibly strong and determined to bite her. She recognized the zombie.

"Matt?" she whispered. "It's me! Don't do this." She quickly placed both of her hands on its neck, using her strength to push its head up and away. The dead eyes of the creature looked down and focused on her. It held her firmly and used its strength to pull it closer to her. Half of his body had been burned and chunks of his skin came out with the touch of her hands.

Lilli cried out in frustration and disgust. So this was her end. She's rescued from the hospital only to be either eaten by her rescuer or turned into a zombie. She hated life.

The sound of cars caught her attention and for a brief moment the zombie stopped attacking her. Was it sniffing her? She spotted a convoy of cars heading their way. The zombie grunted then opened its mouth again. She focused her attention on the cars and waited, using as little strength as possible to keep the zombie back.

An RV was the first car. They began to slow down when they spotted the crashed helicopter. "No," Lilli whispered. A truck pulled around the stopped RV and started to head toward her. She realized that he intended to run her and the zombie over.

It began to speed up and Lilli used all of her strength to push the zombie off her. She quickly rolled away as the truck slammed into the zombie, breaking its bones. She loved the sound of that, but at the same time hated herself. It wasn't Matt's fault that he got turned into a zombie. The truck skidded to a halt and the driver got out.

"You trying to fucking kill me?" Lilli shouted at the man who stepped out. He looked at her in surprise as if he didn't expect her to talk to him. He shot the zombie that was on the hood of his truck with a bolt from his crossbow before he pulled the body off the hood.

"Thought you was dead," he snapped back at her. Suddenly, he aimed his crossbow at her. "Were you bit?" he snapped.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Were you fuckin' bit?" he yelled. "What are you deaf?"

"I'm fine!" She snarled as she turned her back to him. Her eyes widened with surprise as she spotted a few more people in the freeway, looking at her; they had exited their respective rides. Most of them were men except for one woman and they all had weapons.

"Hi," the only man wearing a deputy suit said as he slowly made his way toward her. "Where you part of that?" he pointed to the crash. Lilli looked at the crash but didn't answer. "Maybe you should go in the RV," he said as he grabbed her arm.

Something moved on top of the copter. She pulled her arm away from him as she neared the wreck.

"Wait!" Rick yelled after her.

She ignored him and quickly grabbed the bottom of the copter. It rested on its side. It didn't take her long to reach the top. For being on fire, the bottom was only warm. Lilli looked behind at the remains of the convoy. There was no way anyone survived that mess.

The cars that were around the semi were all but burnt medal frames.

"Fuck," the man, who tried to run her over, shouted as he threw a rock at the crashed chopper. "There' ain't no fuckin' way we can go around this hunk of shit."

"Oh my god," a voice next to Lilli surprised her. She turned to see the officer standing beside her. "I'm sorry," he said as he focused on her.

Lilli nodded then shook her head. "They were my group," she said, softly. "The chopper came out of nowhere. It just, crashed into them…" She had to force each word out. She still couldn't believe what had happened.

He placed his hand on her shoulder as if trying to reassure her. She pulled away. She felt bad that she wasn't more upset that they were dead. She wasn't particularly close to her group, but they were still people.

"Be careful, Rick!" a woman shouted. The two turned and he nodded.

Lilli looked down into the chopper. She could make out what appeared to be at least four bodies. The pilot looked especially gruesome. So that's why the chopper crashed. Someone was infected, died and attacked him. The setting sun and woods didn't help to light the innards of the chopper. She squinted but couldn't make out if the others were alive.

"We should get going, Rick! It's getting dark," the same woman shouted.

"Just a minute, Lori!" he shouted back at her. Lilli turned and watched as the woman and her boy went into the RV.

"She's right, and a crash like this, I'm sure that plenty of geeks are making their way here," a man with black hair shouted up to them.

"Give her a second, Shane," Rick hissed back.

Lilli ignored him as she put one leg over the side of the chopper. Something was familiar about one of the dead people. He wore a white lab coat, but there was a symbol that she wanted to get a closer look at.

"Careful," Rick said as he grabbed her hand. "They might be walkers now."

She sighed and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her foot. Lilli screamed in surprise as she kicked her foot away and immediately lost her balance. Her fall was short, but someone tried to stop it. She landed on a body instead of the hard ground. Quickly, she got off of the person. "I'm so sorry," she stammered as she looked at Shane.

He laughed and winced as he shrugged.

"Let's go," Rick said as he quickly made his way down.

"Where 'n the fuck are we going to go? It's almost dark and…"

"My group secured an inn in a town about two hours or so that way," Lilli said as she pointed in the direction passed the crash. "If we go on the other side of the freeway we can make it. It's tough, there are a lot of stopped cars which is why we took this way back, but if we can fit a semi through those cars then you should have little problem."

Rick nodded. "The RV is leading; you'll probably want to ride in that to show us where."

Lilli shook her head. "I saw a jeep. I think that will work better."

Shane looked at her in surprise. "Why?" he asked.

"I just…" she paused then sighed. "I just don't want to be inside of a car."

Rick frowned then sighed as he nodded and waved his hand.

"This way," Shane said.

"You're the driver?" she asked him in surprise.

He nodded.

"Do you mind?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Naw," he said with a mischievous smile. "This way," he motioned for her to follow which she did. "Just know that it'll probably get cold."

She looked at her leather jacket then shrugged.

It wasn't long until they took off. The cars turned around easily in the small space. It was the old RV that took a little bit longer to turn around. Once they were able to spot the other side of the freeway they drove over the ditch and started their way toward the inn.

Chills ran down her body as soon as they took off. Shane was right. His jeep had no top so the wind circulated through the vehicle quite nicely. Lilli didn't care much about the cold. Because of the wind, it was difficult to say anything, but it wasn't like she wanted to speak in the first place. Her thoughts kept on going back to the crash. If only she had warned them earlier. If only they had left earlier. It was her fault that they left late. She wanted to ride the motorcycle and didn't let up until they let her. She felt like such a brat, but she couldn't handle hearing Maria complain about how she missed taking a shower, again.

Lilli curled herself up into the seat and just stared out into the woods. She hugged her arms around her body and sighed. It was getting night time, which meant it was only going to get colder. She almost wished she had asked to go into the truck with Daryl or the RV with the others. She was tired, but she couldn't go to sleep. She had to direct them to the inn.

"Shit," Lilli said as she sat up and shook her head. They had left a few people at the inn. Not everyone wanted to go to Atlanta and Matt didn't want to bring everyone with him since most weren't needed.

Lilli let out another sigh as her eyes closed. What was she going to tell them? There was going to be tension. One of the members, Jerry, was going to be the hardest to talk too. He was the one overly zealous preacher that they had found in a church only a few weeks prior. He didn't like Lilli after she shot him down. He spent a good portion of his time trying to convince everyone that this was God's punishment for their transgressions. Matt almost kicked him out of the group, but he knew that if he did he would lose the group's faith in him. Nobody liked Jerry, but it wasn't right to just leave him to die.

A hand reached out and took hold of her cold hands. She looked at Shane with surprise and he smiled at her. "It'll be alright," he told her. "We've gone through our fair share of hell. We haven't exactly lost a lot of people like you have, but you're still here and we're here for you."

His hand was warm and she almost wanted to curl her fingers around his. Slowly, she pulled away from him. "Thank you, Shane," she said. He thought she was upset about her group. And in the back of her mind, she was. But she had never gotten close to anyone of them. But three of the ten who were left behind in the inn, she cared about those three deeply. They were the only ones, except for Matt, who didn't make her feel like an outsider.


	2. Helping the Ones in the Inn

**A/N: Wow, reviews already. Nice. Thanks for the reviews. Hope you continue to enjoy.**

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><p>"There!" Lilli said as she pointed to the inn. They had made it, but just barely. It took them roughly three hours to get there due to road hazards. Very little light came from the setting sun. "Stop!" she said. Shane quickly stopped to car. Her eyes were wide with worry. "Wait," she whispered as she got out of the car.<p>

"What's going on?" Shane whispered.

Lilli shook her head as she slowly walked towards the inn. There were no walkers about.

Shane jumped in surprise when someone grabbed his hand. "Dammit, Rick!" he hissed at his friend.

"What's going on?" Rick asked.

"Think she's going to talk to them so they don't shoot us," he replied. Rick nodded, but Shane knew that he was nervous.

Lilli walked in-between two green cars before stopping next to a van that was near the cars. She opened the side passenger door and leaned in. Suddenly, she jumped back, aimed a shotgun and fired into the car.

"Lilli?" a little girl screamed. They looked up and a girl, about ten years of age, was waving from one of the rooms in the second floor. She was pulled back and a Latina woman quickly appeared.

"Geeks!" the woman shouted as Lilli ran under her and threw the shotgun up. The woman caught it and disappeared back in the room.

"Lilli, wait!" Shane shouted as he grabbed his shotgun and jumped out of his jeep. Rick had already run back to the RV to get the rest of the men to help.

Shane rushed through the parking lot when Lilli stumbled out of the front door. It looked as if something had punched her. She shook her head as if she were dazed then fell onto the ground as a rather large zombie jumped on her. Shane wanted to use his shotgun, but he didn't want the spray to hit her.

Lilli struggled as the overgrown zombie casually leaned down to bite her. She screamed as she pulled out her handgun and shot it in the head. Her eyes quickly closed as blood and brains covered her face. "Fuck!" she shouted as something grabbed her and pulled her into the inn.

"No!" Shane shouted as he rushed after her. The rest of the armed men quickly followed.

A zombie rushed after Rick the second he entered the lobby. He didn't hesitate as he shot it in the head with his shotgun. Lilli had kicked off another zombie that tried to eat her and Shane shot it in the head. T-Dog and Glenn both slammed their blunt weapons into the same zombie.

Lilli wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket then they heard a child scream. "Sara!" Lilli shouted as she ran to the hallway.

"Wait!" Shane yelled as he followed after her. She pulled the door to the stairway open and a zombie jumped after her. Shane pushed her to one side and shot it in the head. "Which floor?" he shouted to her.

"Second," she responded.

He nodded and ran up the stairs. He opened the door to the second floor and got ready to fight. Three zombies pounded on a door. Shane aimed for one head and fired. The blast sent the other two staggering back. Lilli fired her gun and hit one while he finished the last with the butt of his gun.

"Sara? Sara! It's Lilli," she said as she rapidly knocked on the door that the zombies were pounding on.

The door flew open and a woman appeared. She looked to be of Hispanic descent. Her face was scrunched up with fear and her hair was a rat's nest. "Lils!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around the young woman. Lilli seemed taken aback by her hug.

"Lilli!" a little girl cried as she ran and hugged her. Lilli pushed the other woman away and quickly returned the little girl's hug.

"We need to make sure that everything is clear," Shane stated.

"Where are the others?" the woman asked.

"All dead, Shane and his group rescued me," Lilli said as she pushed the little girl back into the room.

"We have an RV parked outside if you want to go there and wait," Shane said.

The woman shook her head. "It's getting dark. Best if we secure the inn again. I counted about twelve geeks that were let in. We killed at least seven but many were bit in the process. There are four of us inside this room. Best to assume the other six are geeks."

"The gun shots will bring more walkers to us," Shane said.

"But not many. We'll be fine for tonight. Trust me. Just clear this inn. We'll be fine until tomorrow."

Shane looked skeptical, but then nodded. "I'll go tell Rick," he said. He wasn't too keen on driving all night and would rather sleep in a bed again.

"Close the door," Lilli told her. "We'll be back."

She nodded and pulled the reluctant child away from Lilli, before closing the door.

Lilli followed Shane downstairs to where Rick and the other men were carefully exploring the rooms. "We should clear this first floor and the hallways to the other floors, just in case," Lilli said as she approached Rick.

He shook his head. "If there are any survivors we'll take them and go somewhere else. The gun fire will have attracted more of them."

Lilli shook her head. "It's getting dark and all of you are tired and probably hungry. By the time we get going it'll be early morning, if you want to take all the stuff that we have. Better to clear the inn and leave in the morning. Trust me. We're not going to get a horde of walkers on us. I'm sure there will be a few at the door in the morning, but nothing we can't handle."

Shane looked at Lilli with raised eyebrows then over at Rick. "We are tired, Rick," he said with a nod.

Rick turned and looked at the others. They nodded their heads, making him sigh. "Guess we best make sure the inn is clear before we bring Lori in here."

Lilli let out a small smile before nodding in agreement.

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><p>There weren't any more zombies to kill, which made their job easier. Lucy, the Hispanic woman, was firm when she told them that the only room that was open was the one she and the other survivors went into.<p>

Still, Rick and his team did a quick check of every room before they got busy with the bodies. Lilli showed them where her group had dug a huge hole and placed the bodies they had killed in it and burned them. It was too dark to burn any more bodies, so they decided to just throw the bodies into the hole.

It took them a little longer to dump the bodies since Daryl had to get stitches. Glenn had accidently hit Daryl's left arm with the edge of crowbar, while fighting a zombie. No one wanted to see what would happen if zombie blood accidently entered his wound so they forced him to stand in a corner and wait. He growled at them every chance he got.

When they finally finished they called everyone inside and closed the doors. The previous group had placed a chain in-between the handles and a lock as well as various tables. Although the windows were glass, the chain helped them feel more secure. Even the covered glass windows helped them feel more secure.

Shane and Rick stood in the lobby and surveyed their handwork. The cars were parked perfectly so that if they needed they could escape with little trouble. For the first time, they smiled at each other and nodded with approvement. Both were in a relatively good mood.

"God dammit! Be careful, Taco Bell," Daryl's voice echoed through the halls. Rick and Shane looked at each other before they rushed over to the temporary infirmary room. It was the last room in the left hallway.

The previous group had set up a hotel room for medical emergencies and Lilli had told them where to go. Daryl refused help from anyone and claimed that he could stitch himself up better than anyone. Rick and Shane had no idea who Daryl was insulting, since anyone in their right mind stayed clear of him.

"Seriously? Very original, did grandma Clampett teach you that?" the Hispanic woman snapped as soon as they entered the room. Daryl was sitting on a chair with his arm on the table. Lilli had introduced the woman to Rick and Shane after they threw out the bodies. Rick couldn't remember her name. It was a strange name; all he could remember was her nickname, Lucy. She looked to be in her late twenties. Lucy held a needle and what looked like thread in her hand. She had already begun to stitch Daryl's arm.

"What?" Daryl asked in surprise.

"Haven't you ever seen the Beverly Hillbillies?" Lucy asked with a smile on her face.

"Fuck no!" Daryl snapped. "Trying to insult me with an ancient show? Damn. How long does it take for TV shows to get to Mexico?" Daryl retorted back. Suddenly, he let out a howl in pain.

"Sure. I'm Latina so I _have _to be from Mexico. Stop being a baby," Lucy said as she tightened the thread.

Daryl spotted Rick and Shane. "Oh good," he said. "Maybe you can get a real Americano in here. Ouch, dammit!"

"Will you stop moving?" Lucy scolded. "It's going to continue to hurt if you keep on moving. Just let me finish, estupido."

"She's a nurse, Daryl," Rick said calmly. "You might want to probably refrain yourself from insulting her too much." Rick was surprised that despite what Daryl was saying, Lucy was very calm and hadn't purposefully hurt him.

"Listen to the officer, dumbass," Lucy said as she was finishing.

"I'm sure that anyone can do a better job than she can," Daryl said.

"Ahí! Hombre mas terco," Lucy muttered.

"Hey! We're in America. Speak English here god dammit," Daryl hissed at her.

"No way?" she said with mock amazement. "America? Isn't this supposed to be the land of tolerance or some shit?" She dropped the needle and stood up without waiting for an answer and started to walk out of the room.

Shane looked at Daryl with an amused smile while Rick opened his mouth to try and talk to Lucy.

"Come back here and finish what you started, Vida Loca," Daryl commanded, but his tone was slightly nicer than it was earlier.

Lucy sighed then went back to him. "Next time I'll let you bleed to death, ungrateful hick," she said as she finished stitching his arm.

"We were doin' jus' fine without no nurse," Daryl snapped back at her.

Lucy's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Oh you was?" she asked with fake amazement. "Oh, then you don't need me tending to you. Let's compare someone else's stitches when you need them." She quickly finished the stitching then stood up and walked away. "I got better people to look after anyway."

Shane raised his eyebrows as he looked at Daryl.

"Already getting the good nurse mad at you?" Rick asked with an amused smile.

Daryl leaned forward, shaking his head. "Did you see that? Shamelessly flirting with a patient. Probably want to marry me to get a green card so she can stay here."

"Oh fuck you," Lucy yelled. She had returned. She tossed him a small tube of antibiotic. "Put this on your wound at least once a day if you don't want an infection."

Daryl snorted as she turned and walked away. "See?" he said, shaking his head.

"Pinche mamadas, hombre más estúpido!" They could hear her cursing in Spanish as she waved her hands in the air. Rick chuckled.

"Lucy?" Lilli asked as she walked out of her room.

"No me hablas!" Lucy snapped as she walked past the young woman.

Shane leaned out and watched as Lilli shook her head then walked out of her room. Holding her hand was the little girl named Sara. The two didn't look similar. Lilli had long straight dark brown hair and green eyes, while Sara had curly blonde hair and blue eyes. And their facial features were different. But then again, genetics were always tricky. Shane's father was blonde with blue eyes, but he ended up taking after his mother who had dark brown hair and brown eyes like his, at least he got his father's height.

"Come on," Rick said as he motioned for Shane and Daryl to follow him. The two walked to the dining room where the last of Lilli's group gathered as well as Rick's group.

There were only four of ten people who had survived the attack. Lucy, Sara, a pilot named Michael and a veterinarian named Georgia. From what Rick could tell Lilli's group had hit the jackpot of the most useful people in the world. He was saddened by the loss of them. But there was something odd. It was clear that they were saddened by their major loss, but they easily shifted their loyalty to Rick. He knew that they would do what he asked. They saw him as a figure of authority. It was clear that they hadn't developed the bond of a family like he had with most of his group. Even Daryl felt like part of Rick's odd family. He was that brother that you wanted to beat the shit out of for being ignorant, but still wanted around.

Rick wasn't sure why the others seemed distant toward one another. Maybe it was because each of them had a special trade and that's how the others viewed them as a necessity for what they could do and not who they were. Either way, to survive, these people knew that they had to rely on Rick to help them. Part of him liked the idea and the other part was scared for the added responsibility. Then again, the four extra people replaced the ones that he had lost the past couple of days.

The three men were the last to enter the dining room. They were surprised to see that the rest of the group was already sitting down in various tables. Sara, Sophia and Carl sat in a table by themselves. They seemed rather proud to be alone. Lilli, Andrea, Lucy, Lori, and Georgia were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the kitchen doors opened and the women walked out with plates of spaghetti in their hands.

"Nice," Daryl shouted as Andrea set down a plate in front of him.

"Thanks," Rick said to his wife who kissed him and smiled.

Daryl went to put the food in his mouth when he felt someone slap him in the back of his head. "Ow, what the fuck, crazy broad," he shouted to Georgia as he rubbed his head.

"Don't make me wash your mouth with soup. There are children around. Don't want to hear you saying such words in front of them," Georgia snapped back. "If you're going to curse then you can go outside and not partake of this food. If you want to eat then you're going to have to pray first."

Daryl looked her up and down as she placed herself next to him. She was at least in her sixties, standing at 5'5" but everything about her was big. She wasn't obese, but she was fat. She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down.

"Fine, whatever," Daryl said as he turned back to his plate. His face was red with embarrassment.

Glenn couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"What did you say, China?" Daryl said then yelped in pain. "I ain't your grandson, grandma!" He glared at Georgia who returned his glare. "Stop hitting me."

"I will when you stop cursing and show more respect. You're acting worse than the children! Behave," Georgia said as she placed herself next to her chair. "Let's hold hands and pray. Kids, come over here for a minute," she said as she grabbed Rick's hand who looked at her in surprise. He took hold of Lori's hand and she took her son's, and soon everyone was holding hands.

Shane had purposefully sat himself next to Lilli and he smiled as he reached for her hand. Suddenly, Sara grabbed her hand and then looked at him. She frowned then slowly grabbed his hand after he gave her a reassuring smile. Georgia grabbed Lilli's other hand and took in a deep breath.

"Dear Lord," she began. "We thank you for letting us live yet another day, and for bringing us new friends. We are saddened by our loss, but we know that they are with you now. Lt. Gonzalez, Maria Gonzalez, Kenny Connell, Patrick…"

Shane stopped listening as Georgia continued to name the people of her group who were lost. The names meant little to him. He didn't know them. He had never met them. He looked over at Lilli. She was staring at her plate. He wondered if she blamed herself for being alive. He was going to talk to her when she was alone. Slowly, he planned out what he wanted to say to her.

"And we know that whoever these new friends have lost are with you as well," Georgia's words invaded Shane's conscious again. "Be with us tonight and tomorrow when we…"

"Fuck 'im, old lady," Daryl snarled as he stood up.

"Daryl," Rick snapped as he looked over at the enraged man.

"No, Grimes," Daryl said. "This is stupid and you know it. God? Fuck, if He was real then He'duv destroyed those fuckers out there or at least given us a cure or sometin'. We're losin' people left and right in this hell on Earth."

"Give this to me, Daryl!" Georgia pleaded. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Tears threatened to stream down her face. "Let me have this one 'normal' activity that I always did at my home with my husband and my children."

He was taken aback, guilt clearly written across his face. He felt sorry for her. He quickly sat down, but refused to take anyone's hand. "Just don't make it so god damn long."

Georgia sighed as she closed her eyes. "For everyone we lost we thank You for bringing them out of this hell. And we thank You for our lives that we still have so that we can enjoy the company of other people. Amen."

The group muttered their amens before they opened their eyes and started eating. None of them knew when they would get another decent meal.

"Go eat with the other kids," Lilli said to Sara who nodded and skipped over to her table.

"That was a good prayer," Dale said to Georgia who smiled.

"This is great food," Shane said as he looked at Lilli and smiled.

"I didn't do it," she responded. "Luigi and Georgia did it."

"Who the… hell is Luigi?" Daryl asked as he looked over at Lilli. Shane bit his cheek from laughing. Naturally, Daryl had to curse, but he found a way to check himself so that it didn't sound so bad. Georgia gave him a nod of approval. She recognized the effort he made in censoring himself.

Lucy sighed and raised her hand. "My name is Ludgenane but everyone calls me Lucy except for Lilli," she turned her attention to Lilli and glared at her friend. "Thanks a lot, Lils."

Lilli laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"So tell us a little bit about yourselves," Georgia said to Rick. Soon, the entire group started talking to one another and the ice seemed to break.


	3. Making Plans

**A/N: Excited, season 2 starts tonight. Thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts. Hope you continue to enjoy.**

* * *

><p>All of the adults huddled in a meeting room and sat in the comfortable chairs, except for Daryl who leaned against the door. He kept watch over the hallway. The children played in the room across the hall. And Carol and Lori could easily see what the three kids were doing. Lilli didn't seem to be worried about Sara like the other two mothers were worried about their kids.<p>

Rick picked up various papers that were on the table.

"Lt. Gonzalez's plan," Georgia said. "He was hoping that after we got to the CDC we would rescue Dr. Jenner. If the CDC was compromised we would head over here," she pointed to an area on the map in South Carolina.

"Did he say how all this started?" Shane asked. He was the first military officer that they had heard of. Surely, he knew about what was happening.

Georgia shook her head. "He was saying that the point of origin seems to be here," she said, pointing to a spot in California.

"How the hell did it travel so fast?" Rick asked in surprise.

Georgia shrugged. "Planes, cars, any type of transportation really. No one knew that they were infected. All anyone knew was that they had been bitten by a crazy person. By the time the authorities realized that there was this epidemic it was too late. They made a mistake in trying to bring people to larger cities. I don't know about you, but there was a helicopter over my town urging us to go to Frankfort." Georgia shook her head. "I wish I had listened to instincts. They told me to keep away from the big cities, but the authority figures were telling us to go there. That they would protect us." She paused and her eyes grew distant. "Who wanted to believe that one bite could end you?"

Shane and his group nodded. "There was a helicopter over our town. They told us to go to Atlanta. That there was safety there," he muttered then shook his head.

Lucy shook her head as she remembered that fateful day. "I was working the night shift at the Frankfort Regional Medical Center when shit hit the fan. The soldiers started shooting everyone in sight. I probably would have died if Lilli hadn't pulled me into her room. We both escaped. Found Lt. Gonzalez about two days later," she stopped talking and grounded her teeth. It was clear that she was trying to keep from crying.

Georgia nodded her head and bit her lip. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't come along when you did," she finally said with a little smile when she looked at Rick.

"I'm glad we came when we did, ma'am," Rick said. "I only wish we had arrived a little bit earlier."

Shane had stopped focusing on the conversation. He was more curious about the plans that this Lt. Gonzalez had made for his group. "So this is where it's supposed to be safe?" Shane asked as he pointed to the dot on the map. "If you came from Frankfort, why didn't you go straight over there instead of coming down to Atlanta?"

"Because we just heard the transmission last night," Lilli answered. "Matt figured we would go to Atlanta, see if we could find any survivors in the CDC and in general, before we headed toward safety."

"Can we get into contact with these people?" Rick asked with hope.

Lilli shook her head. "We tried yesterday and this morning to reach them, but they're not answering us. Maybe they switched channels or they got over run or they lost power. They were cutting out, but they gave a list of coordinates," Lilli pointed to three other dots on the map. Each was further and further away from their location.

"But they said they had a vaccine," Georgia said.

They looked at her in surprise.

"A cure?" Rick asked.

Lilli shook her head. "It wasn't clear. It was either that they had one or were close to getting one."

"Why are you so sure that there will be few geeks out there when we get up in the morning?" Glenn asked, changing the subject. He didn't want to get his hopes up for a haven against the walkers or a vaccine to not be one of them. Instead, he was worried about what tomorrow would bring. He didn't want to wake up in the middle of the morning to have a horde of zombies outside waiting to eat them.

"They just won't," Michael growled. Everyone looked at him in surprise. He hadn't said anything during dinner, despite some of their best efforts to get him to talk. He was an older man in his late 60s. Lilli had told Rick that he was a pilot. Rick had become excited by the thoughts of a man being able to fly them to any city. Then he brought himself back to reality. Lt. Gonzalez knew what the man could do and didn't use him. Why?

Michael glared at Lilli. "How did they die?" he snarled.

"We were on our way back and a helicopter landed on the convoy. I was behind and tried to warn everyone. The helicopter hit Felix's truck and the gas inside ignited. The blast sent me in the air and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, Matt attacked me and then they saved me," Lilli said as she leaned across the table. Her body challenged Michael to say another word, to blame her for what happened.

Michael snorted as if he didn't believe her.

"It's true," Rick said. "When we arrived, there was a helicopter in the middle of the road. Do we look like a group who could harm others?"

Michael looked at Rick, his eyes narrowed with disbelief.

"I was just wondering," Glenn said nervously. "How did the geeks get into this place if it's so safe?"

Michael turned his attention to Glenn, making the young man cower.

"Excellent question, Glenn," Rick said as he leaned closer to Michael.

"Pastor Jerry let them in," Sara said. Everyone turned and looked at the little girl who stood in the doorway.

Lilli stood up and looked back at her remaining group. "What?" she asked, trying to keep her voice leveled.

"You don't know that, sweetie," Georgia said softly.

Sara nodded her head. "Do to!" she nearly shouted. "I was in the lobby behind the counter. I heard Pastor Jerry talking to himself about devils. There was a knock on the glass. He opened the curtain then opened the door. I heard him scream in surprise and I heard them…" she perfectly imitated the noises that the walkers made. Chills ran down everyone's spine from her imitation.

Lilli went over to Sara and knelt down. "No one is going to open the door this time," she whispered. "I promise. We'll only open it when we're going to leave." She hugged the little girl who let out a soft sob. "Why don't you go and play with Carl and Sophia. I promise nothing like that will happen again."

The little girl nodded with understanding and left. Lilli stood up and glared at Georgia and Michael. "Nothing was broken. He let them in!" she hissed.

Georgia was pale while Michael shook his head. "Do you think he wanted us dead? Someone tricked him!" Michael snapped as he stood up. "Either way, even if it was his fault he's dead now."

"We don't know that!" Lilli interrupted. "We didn't see his body in here. He could be out there."

"And probably a geek now," Georgia countered. "We can't focus on that. What he did is now in the past. We have to focus on our future."

"She's right," Rick said. "We can discuss past grievances when we're absolutely sure we're safe and sound. This place that is supposed to have the cure, maybe we should go there?" He looked at the group. It was clear that he wanted their opinions.

Andrea bit her lip. "The CDC was supposed to be our haven and looked what happened," she finally said. "What kind of supplies do you have here?" she directed her question to Georgia.

"The ones who left only took enough food for the day and left the rest. Have enough can food and bottle water to last a good while. If we portion it out among all of us," Georgia stopped to ponder. "Maybe two or three years, before the can food is finished."

"You have that much food here?" Rick asked with surprise.

The four shook their heads. "Matt liked to keep our options opened. He stashed the food in various areas on our way here. Just in case we decided to return back to the apartment building we had secured. He didn't want anyone to be able to steal all of it," Lucy said.

Georgia nodded. "Here in the inn we have enough food and water to last us a month or two."

Lilli hissed in pain as she jumped up in surprise. Shane looked at her in concern. Nobody had been examined for bites and she had a stronger chance of being bitten.

"You okay?" Lucy asked as she stood up.

Lilli nodded her head. "Feet are killing me," she reassured and smiled.

"I think we shouldn't make our decision tonight," Dale finally said as he focused on Rick. "If it's truly not that bad out there then I don't think it would hurt to stay here a few more nights and sleep in proper beds. See if we can communicate with those people who may have the cure. If we leave now we may never be able to come back here. At least here we have the luxury of thought. Who knows what will happen on our way there or what happens when we get there. If _they_," he pointed to Georgia and the others. "Lost communication with this other group then that tells me something bad happened. What if we find a facility full of those things? I don't want to risk it on little sleep."

"Or what if it's a safe haven?" Georgia countered. "We can't afford to waste much time sitting here and debating if it's a good or bad idea. We should take action and go there. The longer we wait, the more likely that…"

"That what?" Lilli interrupted her. "Say we go there and it's full of those things because others went there? Hmmm? What if we barely arrive and we get caught in a huge mess?"

"Or what if they don't have much more room to house people and turn us away?" Georgia pointed out. "Usually, government facilities are only so big to house just the minimum of the more _important _people. What if we get turned away because the convoy in front of us filled them up? We don't have the luxury of waiting."

"We need to stay here at least a few days," Lori finally said. Everyone looked at her in surprise. "Yesterday was the first day that we got to get a decent night sleep," for a brief second she glanced at Shane before looking away. "Unlike your group, we've barely been able to sleep or eat properly. We've always been on the lookout for food and for the walkers. I think it will benefit all of us if we stay put and actually be able to eat, rest and clear our minds, for at least two or three days. Rick hasn't been able to stop and rest since he woke up from the hospital." She looked at her husband.

"Sure," Dale said with a nod. "If there are few to none of those things then we should strongly consider that option tomorrow. Hell, I could use a couple more nights of sleep in a bed."

"Jus' cus some of you folks want to stay here don' mean all of us need to," Daryl said. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "Look, looks like it'll take maybe twelve hours to get there? Me 'n three, four people tops could get there an' be back in a little over a day."

Rick nodded. "We all need to rest, including you, Daryl," Rick finally said. "If you really feel like going and checking this place out then we'll discuss it tomorrow. Everyone make sure that you take a room here in the first floor."

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "You ain't my boss. If I chose to leave tomorrow I can. And I can sleep where I want," he finally snapped before he walked away.

Lilli yawned. "I think I'm going to get ready for bed," she said. Shane watched as she struggled not to limp out of the room. She poked her head into the room that the kids were playing in, before she made her way to her room. That seemed to be the silent signal to everyone else. Soon most of the people were getting up and leaving.

"Excuse me," Georgia said as she made her way pass Shane and walked toward Lilli's room. She hesitated a moment outside of the young woman's door before she opened it and stepped inside.

"What do you think, Shane?" Rick suddenly asked.

"What?" Shane said, clearly caught off guard.

"If there are only a few walkers here tomorrow morning then we hold up here for another night or two see if we can get into contact with the people who say they have a vaccine. Or we go over there and hope that we find them."

Shane looked at his friend for a minute then shook his head. "I hate to admit it, but I like Daryl's idea. We don't know what to expect over there. I think we should take a small group of people and head that way, _if_ this place looks to be safe. It'll make it easier for a small group to look out for one another instead of a big group. They'll also be able to maintain a steady pace."

Rick nodded. It was a sensible reply. The children would slow them down. This had to be treated as if it were a recon mission. If they took everyone and ended up getting stranded in a far worse place like Atlanta then he would blame himself. It would be better to send a small group of people to check first. The only question would be who would go?

Rick sighed. He really did need to sleep. "Then let's discuss it tomorrow," Rick said with a nod. "I still think we should still have someone staying up, in case the walkers are able to get through."

Shane nodded as he suppressed a yawn.

"I'll do it," T-Dog said with a smile as he grabbed one of the office chairs and wheeled out. He placed it at the edge of the hall, close enough to the lobby but not in view of the covered windows.

"Night," Shane said to the others as he slowly walked out and made his way to Lilli's room.

* * *

><p>A combination of anger and pain ran through Lilli's body as she opened her door. Her body shook as she entered her bathroom. She took off her shirt before examining her body. Except for the tattoo there was nothing new. She took off her pants and put her foot on top of the toilet seat before snarling in disgust. There it was. The zombie that had pulled her out from under the marine had bit her, more like raked his teeth across her jeans. Still, it had punctured her skin, and now it hurt like hell.<p>

"Son of a bitch," she said to herself as she took her water bottle and poured some water into her shirt and pressed it against her leg.

"Are you alright?" Georgia asked.

"Christ!" Lilli shouted as she jumped up. She knew she looked guilty. "Don't you knock? I'm fine, just a scratch."

"Are you sure?" Georgia asked in concern. She walked over to examine the wound but Lilli backed away.

"Seriously? Go into the bedroom if you want to talk to me," Lilli snapped at the older woman.

"If you were bit then you can be a danger to us!" Georgia said with worry.

Lilli shook her head. "I wasn't bit. It's just a scratch. Considering that Sara sleeps in the room with me, do you think I would allow myself to become one of those things? You know how much I treasure that little girl."

Georgia hesitated then slowly walked away and into the bedroom. Lilli looked at her leg one last time before wrapping it with a bandage and pulling her sock up. It covered the wound, but just barely. "What do you want? I'm a little tired."

"I want you to help me convince this Rick that we need to go to that place," Georgia urged. "You heard them on the radio. This is the best option for us."

"Really, Georgia?" Lilli snapped as she walked into her bedroom. "Can't give these people who rescued us some time to rest? You've seen them. They all look exhausted. A few days rest will surely help them."

Georgia shook her head. "And a few days of delay can make the difference. What if we get there and they don't have any more room for us? You helped convince Matt to go to the CDC."

Lilli shook her head. "Yeah? And looked what happened to everyone because of that." She let out a sigh as she turned away. "I hate that Matt took out the locks for the rooms down here," Lilli hissed, more to herself than to Georgia. She made her way back toward her bathroom.

Georgia let out a soft smile. She knew that when Lilli changed the subject it meant that the woman was strongly considering what to do. And that she would do what Georgia asked.

Suddenly, she smacked her forehead. "That's what I came out here for. Clothes," she said to herself. There was a soft knock at her door. "Come in," she said with a sigh. "Jesus!" She shouted as Shane opened the door. She wrapped her arms around her chest and dashed into the bathroom.

"Sorry," he stammered. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see her walking around in her bra and underwear.

"It's okay," she said from inside the bathroom. "My fault. I thought you were someone else."

"I… I just wanted to make sure that you were alright," he said.

"Fine. Thanks," she responded as she walked out of the bathroom. She had put on her shirt and had wrapped a towel around her waist, but what did it matter. He just saw her in her undergarments. Parts of her shirt clung to her skin, clearly it had gotten wet.

"Sorry to bother you," he said as he retreated.

Lilli frowned then nodded as she closed the door behind him and went into the bedroom. She opened the closet and looked at the simple set of clothes that she had.

"He likes you," Georgia mused.

Lilli looked at her then away. "Do you think?" she finally asked.

"Honey, I've been around and I know looks. Used to see my sons give that exact same look to their girls," she let out a small laugh.

Lilli had her back turned to the older woman, but allowed herself to smile. For some reason, she liked that idea. He wasn't a bad looking guy.

"You can't be with him, you know," Georgia said, breaking the mood.

Lilli turned and looked at her in surprise. "And why not?" she snapped in anger.

Georgia's eyes narrowed. "We're in a post-apocalyptic world. Life as we know it isn't normal. We don't have many contraceptives and we all know that they aren't exactly baby proof, anyway. We haven't found a safe place to stay and if you get pregnant while we're still running you may die. You'll put the whole group at risk because they'll be trying to protect you and your baby. See! It would be better if we were at this haven!"

Lilli turned away, shaking her head. "We don't even know if it's a haven. And whether or not I get pregnant is none of your concern," she muttered.

Georgia shook her head. "Whatever a person does in this group that affects the group is my concern."

"So will you be making sure that no one has sex, ever?" Lilli asked as she glared at Georgia.

The older woman crossed her arms. "I will not help protect someone who knowingly causes more trouble. If you get pregnant then you'll have to eat more food, Lucy will…"

"Jesus, Georgia!" Lilli gasped. "I'm not your child. I'm not a child. If it happens it happens. You can't tell me who I can and cannot be with. You have the right to not want to help me if something like that happens. But what I do with my body is my business."

Georgia stood up and started to walk out. "The sooner we get to this haven the easier it'll be for everyone to relax," she said.

Lilli frowned. "Why are you pushing this?"

"Because I'm tired of always having to be on the alert," Georgia snapped. "I just want to go to a place where we don't have to worry about defending ourselves against the walkers."

Lilli snorted, shaking her head. "We'll see. But, I'm really tired. I've had a very long day."

Georgia nodded her head as walked out of the room. A scowl crossed her face as she closed the door. She didn't get a good glimpse of the wound that Lilli had. But then again, young woman cared too much about Sara to allow herself to turn into a walker. Still, Georgia entered her room and pushed the TV against the door, before allowing herself to lay down in bed.


	4. Getting to Know Each Other

**A/N: I've hit a very successful week in writing. Hope you guys continue to enjoy this story. Thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts. **

Shane wasn't sure what time it was, but he didn't really care. He had taken over T-Dog's shift. It was clear that the other man was going to fall asleep any second and Shane had nothing better to do. He hadn't had the luxury of thought the past couple of days.

When Rick came back he was happy at first. Surprised, but extremely happy then the jealousy set in. Seeing Rick with his arms around Lori and Carl made Shane angry. He had taken care of the two and had started a relationship with Lori. He had justified their relationship by telling himself that he was taking care of her for Rick. He never expected Rick to be alive, much less find them. But he did and he took Lori away from Shane.

There were no other women in the group that Shane had any interest in. Andrea and Amy, while she was still alive, only cared about being together. The sisters didn't seem to have any eyes for any of the men. Then there was Carol, but she was married to that bastard Ed. Although he was dead now, Carol was still messed up. She was becoming stronger in herself, but Shane still didn't have any feelings for her.

Lori! He had to apologize to her. Just the night he attempted to rape her. He knew that excuses were stupid, but he was drunk and pissed off. In the end, he was glad that she scratched him. It made him realize what an idiot he was being. Idiot wasn't exactly the word, no; there were a whole slew of words that best described him. She was guarded around him now. It helped that they drove most of the day in different cars. But still, he needed to apologize to her. He didn't know if it would matter and he knew that he would never get her trust back again, but he had to try. Which meant that he had to eventually tell Rick what had happened between them, but only if Lori agreed to it.

"Such a fool," he told himself, shaking his head.

On the bright side, now there were two new women in their group, Lilli and Lucy. Both women were pretty in their own way. Lucy seemed to be a bigger handful of the two, but Shane wasn't sure. It wasn't like they had spent months together. But he liked Lilli. He wasn't exactly sure when he developed his feelings toward her. Maybe it was when he caught her after she fell from the chopper. For a moment, he was her knight in shining armor and he liked playing the knight.

Or maybe it was his way of dealing with the loss of Lori. Either way, his body was telling him that he wanted Lilli. He imagined his hands tracing the Celtic tattoo that was on her back, touching her shoulder length brown hair. He wondered why she got the tattoo and what it meant. He had caught a brief glimpse of it when she darted into her bathroom. Slowly, he imagined his hands run down her naked back; her body, so perfect for him, and her turning to look at him as she dropped towel.

"Hungry?" Lilli's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sorry?" he said as he blushed. His mind was just beginning to imagine her naked. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as she walked over to him. He was horny as hell and she wasn't helping. She wore a long T-shirt and no bra. He caught a glimpse of the short shorts that she wore underneath.

She pulled out a piece of chocolate and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. "Your group thought of everything." He almost felt as if he was in heaven. Earlier, Georgia had shown them all where the extra clothes were at. It was nice to be able to change clothes. "You're dressed warmly," he teased. He couldn't help but comment on the way she was dressed.

She giggled as she sat down on the floor.

"Think that's wise?" he asked her. "What if we have to leave in a hurry?"

"I have a small bag of clothes ready just in case," she responded. "I would have to run back to my room to get Sara." She let out a soft smile and he nodded. Naturally, the little girl slept with Lilli. "So tell me, Shane. What did you do before this?" she waved her hands around and he smiled.

"Believe it or not, ma'am," he said with his most authoritative voice. "I was an officer of the law right under Rick."

"I believe it," she said with a nod. "The way you walk, like you own the place." She giggled, making him smile.

"What about you, _ma'am_?" he asked her.

"Psh! Don't call me ma'am. You're making me feel old," she said with a wave of her hand. "Lilli, just Lilli."

He nodded his head, but had a large smile on his face. "As you wish, Lilli."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't do much," she answered his previous question. "Started my own crafts business. Made just enough to live. But I didn't have to get that much. I lived with my father."

He looked at her in surprise. "And how old are you?" he asked her, half teasing, half curious.

"Shut up," she said as she smacked his leg. "My dad has always been one of those 'Family means everything' and 'You can only count on family during hard times' and 'Always be close to your family' type person." She pitched her voice lower each time she quoted her father. Shane found it amusing. "But what he could never do was take care of himself."

She let out a content sigh. He didn't say anything. He didn't want to interrupt her thoughts. Finally, she moved. She wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her chin on top of her knees.

"What does your tattoo mean?" Shane finally asked. He couldn't help himself. He just kept on picturing his fingers tracing the lines.

"You saw that huh? Thought I darted to fast into the bathroom for you not to see," she said. "Okay."

He smiled, but didn't say anything. Her body was forever engraved in his mind. She pulled up her shirt, revealing her back. She tried to make sure that she covered her front, but there were times when he caught a glimpse of the side of her breast. Finally, he saw the tattoo. The border was a circle with a unique looking triquetra knot in the middle. There were three letters in each one.

"It's the trinity knot," she said. "When my brother, sister and I turned eighteen we decided to get a tattoo together, to forever immortalize our bond."

Shane nodded then frowned. "So who started the tradition?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I guess we all contributed." She couldn't see the tattoo since it was on her right shoulder, but she pointed to the bottom left where a G was. "G is for Gabriel came first." She moved her hand to the top where an L was at. "L is for me and I was second." She moved her hand down toward the Z. "And J is for Jessica. She was the last," she finished.

He couldn't help but touch her. His hand slowly traced some lines. Quickly, he pulled away. "Sorry," he said.

Lilli giggled. "I let you do it," she replied as she let her shirt fall down.

"So Gabriel, Lilith and Jessica?" he asked. "Odd names."

Lilli laughed and nodded her head. "Mother always loved the name Gabriel, because a man by that name saved her from drowning when she was a child. So she always promised herself that she would name her son Gabriel." She paused as if recalling a memory then shook her head. "My name came from myths. Shortly before we were born she was reading about old myths and came across the one about Lilith. Supposedly, she was Adam's first wife but decided that she didn't want to be under her husband so she was cast out and turned into a demon or something like that."

"Your mom named you after a demon?" Shane asked in surprise.

Lilli laughed and nodded. "But not because of the demon part. She was an activist and believed that women could accomplish just as much as men could. When she read that story she was appalled that Lilith was punished for not wanting to be a man's subordinate. I kind of live up to her name. It's a little harder"

Shane frowned as he thought. "So what about the name Jessica? It's so…" he couldn't think of the word.

"Modern?" she asked.

He nodded.

She chuckled. "The one kid my dad named. He felt sorry that he had two children named after ancient stories. Gabriel isn't that bad, but Lilith is. That's why I go by Lilli. Since dad wasn't around much mom insisted that she get to name two of the three kids." Her eyes grew distant and a small smile escaped her lips. "He really loved her."

"I'm sorry," Shane said softly.

She shrugged. "I didn't know her. She died giving birth to us. Dad always told me stories about her, but I never met her in life." Her eyes grew distant as if she were recalling a memory.

"Wait…" Shane said slowly. "So you're triplets."

A large smile crossed her face.

Shane leaned back as he thought. He had never met triplets before. But then again, her siblings weren't around. "Where are they now?" Shane couldn't help but ask.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Gabriel was stationed in California. Jess lived in Montana with her husband. She was practicing her running. Her dream has always been to run in the Olympics." Lilli laughed. "Both have a good chance of being alive," her voice hollowed as if she knew she was lying. "What about your family?"

It was clear that she didn't want to talk about her family anymore. "Well," he began. "I'm an only child."

!*!*!*!*!*!

Daryl tossed and turned in his bed. He had chosen to ignore what Rick had said and took a room in the second floor. He hated people telling him where he could and couldn't go. However, his rebellion wasn't working in his favor this time. He couldn't help but worry if a geek had managed to break through the front door. Sure, he would be safe in his locked room, but the others wouldn't. But then again, he was sure that he could hear their muffled screams if they were in trouble.

All the rooms in the bottom floor didn't have locks in them. They were easy to open just in case the people needed to escape from their room. At the same time, it made it easy for the geeks to get in too. He didn't care what the original group believed themselves to be safe. There were still plenty of geeks around and to top it all, they had to be rescued from the geeks.

Daryl snorted at the thought. Some dumbass had allowed them to enter the inn, but still. Finally, he couldn't help himself and got out of bed. He was just going to pretend that he was in the first floor to guard the entrance. He didn't need to tell anyone the real reason why he was there.

He was too tired to be careful as he let the door to the stairway slam shut. The clear smell of smoke caught his attention and he looked down. At the bottom of the stairs was Lucy. She looked up at him and she had her hand on a bat. When their eyes met she let out a sigh and returned her gaze in front of her.

"Thought you _was _a walker," she said without looking back at him.

He casually walked down the stairs. "Thought you was too when I saw your crazy ass hair," he retorted back. Her hair was a mess and it looked like she hadn't brushed it in days.

"I was hoping that the walkers would think I was one of them," she said as she took another drag.

Daryl was tempted to stay with her, but then he figured she wouldn't want him for company. He wasn't exactly like his brother who was a racist and sexist. Daryl's insults and actions were a defense mechanism for him. Too many people just looked at him and figured that they knew him without truly trying to know him. So he decided to just live up to their expectations.

"Want a smoke?" she asked him.

He stopped and turned to look at her. She held up an unused cigarette.

"What do you want?" he asked. There always came a price with kindness.

"Pinche mamadas," Lucy hissed. "Do you want one or not?"

He took the cigarette and lighter from her hands and lit it before sitting next to her to smoke.

She let out a soft laugh. "My mom was one of those activists against smoking. She would tell me that smoking would kill me. But any given day in this world can kill me now."

Daryl snorted in agreement. Neither said anything but just stared straight ahead and smoked. Finally, he realized that she was looking at him.

"What?" he snapped as he looked at her.

"You're not that bad, Daryl," she finally said as she crushed the cigarette on the step beside her then she took out another.

"Why do you say that?" he asked her. She didn't look at him and he allowed his eyes to wander her body. She was roughly 5'6" and it was clear that she exercised every day. She wore a tank top, no bra and long pajama pants. She leaned forward for a second and he could clearly see part of her cleavage.

She turned her head toward him and he quickly darted his eyes away. He couldn't help but imagine what he would do with her breasts. His hands itched to touch her, but he didn't dare. He wasn't a gentleman, but he wasn't a rapist. And she had given no clear indication that she wanted him, despite his earlier comments to Rick and Shane.

"Rum?" she asked him. He looked at her in surprise.

"Thought you folks didn't have any drinks," he said.

She laughed as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of rum. It was unopened.

"We raided Wal-Mart a few days ago. Matt let us get what we wanted. The important stuff we had to share like canned food, water, juice, but boozes, cigarettes and the like we could use that to bargain for stuff. Money is no good in this world, but items are." She smiled as she opened it and produced a shot glass. "To bad all the limes were ruined." She filled up her glass and then one for him. "To the loved ones we lost."

He nodded to her and the two drank together. He missed the burn of a strong drink running down his throat. Suddenly, she got up with the bottle and headed toward the door. He wasn't exactly sure what to do. She turned and looked at him.

"Come," she beaconed as she walked into the hall. He quickly stood up and followed after her. It was clear that she was going to go to her room until she spotted Lilli and Shane. "You know," Lucy started, causing Shane and Lilli to turn and look at her. "Reminiscing on the past is so much more fun when you're drunk," she said to them.

Lucy plopped herself down next to Lilli. She was in the middle of the hallway and faced the lobby and front doors. It didn't seem to bother her. No one had heard any noise against the windows. If the walkers were out there, they didn't know people were in the inn.

Lucy filled up the shot glasses then pulled out two plastic cups.

"I can't believe these haven't broken," Lilli said as she grabbed one of the glasses.

"I take extra care of them," Lucy said with a smile as she handed the guys the plastic cups. Daryl sighed as he walked pass Shane and went into the meeting room. It didn't take him that long to bring out two more chairs. "You're sweet," Lucy said with a smile then shook her head. "I like the ground."

Daryl shrugged. "Whatever," he said as he sat in one chair and took a large gulp of his drink. Warmth ran through his body and he quite enjoyed it.

"Lilli and I were discussing our families," Shane said as he stared at his drink. After what happened the other night, he wasn't sure if he wanted to drink.

"Oh yeah?" Lucy asked. "That's depressing." Lucy turned her attention to Daryl. "Daryl, what about your family?" Clearly, she didn't see the irony of her question. Shane paled as Daryl leaned forward.

"It was jus' me and me brother," he said as he glared at them. "Until these asshole left 'im handcuffed on a roof in Atlanta. We found his stub of a hand but no body. I'm sure he's alive and around."

"Hey!" Shane snapped. "I wasn't part of that group. They had just reason…"

"Reason?" Daryl interrupted. "You don't treat another person like that."

"Chicos, para!" Lucy said as she stood up. "I'm sorry I asked. I didn't know. But let's not argue. You guys are killing my soon to be nice buzz."

Daryl leaned back but glared at Shane who looked away.

"Don't want to wake the others up and share my booze with them too. Less for you guys," Lucy said as she put more in their glasses. "How about music? What did you guys like to listen to?"

The men shrugged their shoulders. They weren't in a mood to talk anymore.

Lucy snorted, causing Daryl to raise his eyebrows as he looked at her. He was surprised that she would snort. It didn't seem like something a woman like her would do. "You guys are useless. Come on, Lils. What was that song that you liked?"

Lilli shook her head. "And risk you trying to remember the words and singing it?"

"What?" Lucy asked in horror. "You sayin' I can't sing well?"

"The geeks run in fear every time they hear you sing… and see your hair," Lilli said with a smile.

Lucy huffed then pretended to puff her hair. "My hair is fabulous. It's the new style. Everyone has their hair like this." She paused then jumped up and down, clearly anxious. "Come on, guys. I miss clubbing. Need to have music while you dance." She moved her body smoothly as she twisted her hips. She stopped and looked at Daryl. "Dance with me," she told him as she grabbed his hand.

He quickly pulled away from her. "I don't dance," he said, shaking his head. Lucy looked at Shane, who moved his chair back.

"Smooth," she told him.

Lilli stood up and dusted herself. "What was that song you've been singing?" she asked.

Lucy smiled and nodded as she started to move. Clearly she could hear the music in her head. "Las manos arriba cintura sola/ Da media vuelta danza kuduro / No te canses ahora que esto solo empieza," Lucy started to sing. Lilli was right the woman couldn't sing, but it had been a while since either man heard a woman sing. She wasn't the worst, but she wasn't the best either.

Both women twisted their bodies as they danced around each other. Daryl and Shane both perked up. Lucy bumped Lilli's hip with hers, then grabbed Lilli's hand and twirled her. Lilli twirled back and almost slammed into the other woman. Her hands wrapped around Lucy and she slowly ran her hand down Lucy's back. Suddenly, Lucy snorted as she laughed. Lilli pulled away laughing. Her laughter forced her to fall to the ground as Lucy doubled over. Both women were laughing hard, but doing their best not to make too much noise.

"What was that?" Lucy asked after she finally caught her breath.

Lilli shrugged. "The guys didn't want to dance with you so I figured I'd try to make a move on you and take you away from them."

Lucy smiled then rolled her eyes as she looked at the two men. Both men didn't seem to know how to react. "No Spanish music?" she asked them. They were relieved that she changed the subject. "How about some post-hardcore," she paused, cleared her throat then let out hoarse soft "yeaaaaaah" as she raised her hands in the air and squeezed her knees together. She hummed for a minute before she opened her mouth. She lifted her hands in the air and pretended like she was singing into a microphone. "They say that love is forever/ Your forever is all that I need…" her voice cracked and she laughed. "No?" she asked. "Thank you for listening to Lucy's renditions of 'Danza Kuduro' by Don Omar and 'If I'm James Dean then You're Audrey Hepburn' by Sleeping with Sirens. Join me tomorrow when I sing the bits and pieces to classics like 'Back in Black' by AC/DC, 'White Blank Page' by Mumford and Sons, and 'Hips don't lie' by Shakira. Lucy, out," she said with a smile as she sprawled herself on the ground.

Everyone was quiet and nobody seemed to want to move or say anything.

"I think that's what I miss the most," Lucy finally said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Daryl asked.

She sat up and looked at them. "The music. We have to be so careful now. Too much noise and we'll attract them. Not to mention there is little power to be found. There are still people around, despite what the geeks are trying to do to get rid of us all. You know, my life has always been on the fast lane. I used to work long hours and party the rest. If I had eight hours of sleep then I was lucky. I'm used to little sleep. Not running for my life, but life was still fast. The one time I truly enjoyed myself was when I drove. My mp3 player had all sorts of music and allowed my mind to take a small break from thinking about work or friends."

The three remained quiet.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said with a little giggle. "Now look who's the buzz killer."

Daryl shrugged as Shane looked away.

Lilli had a distant look as she stared at the doors in front of her. "Down by the riverside by the boats/ Where everybody goes to be alone," she sang softly. She moved her fingers in the air as if she were playing a piano.

Lucy sat up and looked at her friend. "I didn't know you could sing," she said with surprise after Lilli finished.

Lilli blushed and put her hands down. "Yeah," she said. "Mom was the pianist for her church. She had this large grand piano at home and dad hated to see it go to waste. He didn't have time to play and he didn't want to get rid of it. So he had us take piano lessons and sent us to choir. Which is why I _can_ hold a tune."

"Psh," Lucy said, shaking her head. A yawn escaped her lips, making the others yawn as well. "Well," she said as she stretched her arms. "I think I'm bummed enough now that I can sleep." She stood up, grabbed her things and walked down the hall. Her thigh brushed against Daryl's knees and he looked at her in surprise. She didn't look at him as she swung her hips. "Maybe I'm not as tired as I thought," she said, but didn't look at him.

Daryl stood up and ignored Shane who watched him. Stopping in front of her door, she turned and looked at Daryl. For a second, she opened her mouth then closed it as she smiled. He stopped near her then opened the door to the stairs and walked up them. It was clear that she was disappointed. She sighed as she opened her door and walked into her room.

"I better get back to bed," Lilli said as she stretch. "Ouch," she hissed, nearly losing her balance as her leg tensed.

"You alright?" Shane asked as he jumped to his feet.

She nodded her head. "Sorry," she said. "Got a cramp earlier which is why I came out. Leg is still sore cause of it." She smiled at him, trying to reassure him. "Good night," she said as she limped back to her room. Shane watched her with worry.

A/N: The song that Lilli briefly sings is "Riverside" by Agnes Obel. I don't normally put songs into my fics. I just thought that it would be sad to live a life where listening to music could get you killed.


	5. Fort Benning

**A/N: I'm really on a roll. I don't think I've updated this often in any of my stories before. Usually once a week. I'll try to keep it up. I'm really enjoying writing this one. Wow, so the first scene was already thought up and written before I saw the premier. I'm glad that the zombies act like how I described (well… to a point). **Hope you guys continue to enjoy this story. Thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts. ****

"We're not going to make it!" a woman shouted in despair as she looked at the group of walkers that circled around the cars. There were at least one hundred and fifty walkers and only five humans. The humans were completely surrounded.

The woman held a gun in her hand. She looked around filled with despair. Then she turned her gun on her child before shooting herself. The others shot at the walkers who raised their arms up. What remained of the little group where the ones who had been able to quickly climb onto the top of the highest cars. Those who didn't make it were quickly torn apart.

Jake Reed continued to shoot at the walkers even though he knew it was futile. He wouldn't give up without a fight. They had been fine, he and his group. They were driving through the freeway toward Fort Benning when they ran into the herd of walkers. He had commanded his group to turn back, but they were somehow quickly surrounded. The large group of walkers was too much for them to drive through. Now the only thing they could do was sit on their cars and wait until they died of starvation. Help from anyone or anything was highly unlikely.

A few more shots rang out. Slowly, Jake turned and looked. He couldn't help but push the woman and her child off of his car. He couldn't bear to look at them. Three more people remained. He looked over at them. They knew that there was nothing they could do. They were surrounded by too many walkers.

"Damn you!" a teenager shouted as he threw his empty pistol into the group. It hit one of the walkers on the head. The walker staggered, but then quickly resumed his position; arms stretched out, mouth open. Tears ran down the teenager's eyes as he took a knife. He looked for help but the woman next to him shook her head. "Fuck," he spat as he got ready to stab himself. Suddenly, she pushed him off the car. He screamed in surprise and pain as the walkers tore him apart. He was dead before he touched the ground.

The woman took the opportunity to jump off the car and run through the thin gap that the walkers made. It was a mistake. One quickly grabbed her and soon she was screaming in pain as she was being devoured.

"Fuck!" Jake shouted. He looked around. He was alone. He had no other weapon on him that would let him take his own life. The rifle was too long and it had one bullet in it that taunted him.

A lone walker staggered toward the group. He looked over at it. She was a woman. Long curly blonde hair covered her face and she wore a white dress. From afar, she looked like an angel. Then she moved. Her head was bent down and her legs seemed to barely be able to hold her support. She staggered toward the small group and toward him.

He snarled. This one… this one he would destroy with the last bullet before he waited to die. He carefully aimed at the walker. "Die, bitch," he whispered as he fired.

He missed and the bullet slammed into her shoulder, causing her to stagger back. She looked up, mouth wide open as if surprised.

"Son of a bitch?" Jake yelled. Of course he would miss the last shot.

The walker stopped momentarily and looked at her shoulder before she made her way toward him.

"What?" He shouted as he looked around. The other walkers didn't notice the lone one.

She continued to walk toward him. As she neared the group he watched in amazement as the walkers moved away. They didn't seem to notice as they slowly moved to one side. They didn't crowd in behind her and it was strange to see the emptiness. She reached the hood of the oversized truck.

"Can't get me you fucked up bitch!" he shouted in triumph.

She growled. It was then that he realized she had no bite marks on her. Her dress, at one point, was white. But now it was filled with dirt, dried blood and bullet holes, but it wasn't torn from bites.

"Her back," he muttered to himself. He couldn't see it so of course that's where her wound was at. He could clearly see the bullet hole that he had put in her shoulder. Her skin was grey and it looked like she had been in her thirties before she died.

She looked around then placed her hands on the hood of the truck and pushed herself up.

"What the fuck?" Jake shouted as he stood up. He held his weapon ready to beat her down, but he couldn't help but stare at her. He had never seen a zombie act like her.

She finally got on the hood and swayed when she stood up. He took that moment to attack her and swung his rifle at her face. Her left hand shot up and grabbed the gun. He gasped in amazement at her strength as he tried to pull it away. She pulled, causing him to lose his balance. He fell onto the windshield and it cracked under his weight. She held the rifle in her hand before she threw it into the crowd. The other walkers looked at him hungrily but they didn't draw any closer.

She straddled him and Jake looked up at her in fear. She was dead there was no doubt about it. Dry blood covered her mouth. He shut his eyes and turned his head away. He didn't want to see her as she killed him. It was a memory he didn't want to be his last. He heard her sniffing him and felt her breath on his neck. He tensed, but she didn't bite him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and spotted the hospital wristband that was on her right wrist. It read 'Eve Bennett'. He turned his head and looked at her. She cocked her head to one side as she returned his gaze. The irises in her eyes were completely red.

"Eve," he whispered. "Please, let me go. I can escape. If you understand me, please." He didn't know why he was begging with this thing. She was one of them, yet not one of them.

She cocked her head as if he was a curiosity. Then she leaned in close to him. Her crazy eyes and face of death scared him. "No," she whispered as she dug her teeth into his skin. He screamed in pain and surprise. It talked.

* * *

><p>Lilli rested her head on Glenn's shoulder. Daryl had insisted that they leave at dawn so that they wouldn't have to be back too late that day. Not much had happened the day before. Almost everyone slept in longer than they were used to. Lilli's group was the first to wake up and eat their breakfast. After that the members of Rick's group slowly trickled into the dining room.<p>

That day was a relatively quiet day. Everyone agreed that they should go to Fort Benning first, since it was closer. When Daryl volunteered Lucy immediately volunteered. It didn't take that much to convince her not to go. Rick explained to her that she was the only nurse that they knew of and her skills were greatly needed. Then Daryl promised to return with some injury so she could patch him up. That made her smile. It was clear that the woman had 'the hots' for Daryl.

Lilli had to volunteer. She had to explain that her father took her camping and taught her survival skills. Lucy quickly vouched for her. To her surprise, Shane volunteered to go as well. Daryl wasn't too happy about it. Whatever he was, he wasn't stupid. He saw the looks that Shane and Lilli gave each other. He didn't like the idea of being the third wheel. Luckily, Glenn volunteered as well.

Before they left, Rick looked as if he was ready to join them. It was clear that he wanted to go as well. If it was for the adventure or to keep the group safe, Lilli didn't know. Shane convinced him that it wasn't wise. He had his wife and son who he needed to take care of. Besides, the group trusted his decisions.

They took one of the trucks that Lilli's group had worked on as well as food for a few days and two gas cans, just in case. They didn't know what was going to happen to them and what obstacles they would meet.

The morning sun slowly peaked over the horizon and hit Lilli's face. She groaned in protest as she covered her eyes with her hands and leaned closer into Glenn's body. The young man immediately stiffened. Daryl decided to drive first while Shane sat in the front passenger seat, leaving Glenn and Lilli in the back.

"Way too early to be awake," Lilli moaned.

Shane let out a soft chuckle. "I'm watching you two back there," he teased as he looked into the rearview mirror. Lilli half opened one eye and chuckled.

"What's the matter, Glenn?" Daryl asked when he saw how stiff the young man was.

"I…" Glenn stopped talking as he tried to think of something to say.

Lilli sighed as she moved off his shoulder and leaned against the side of the car. "Fine," she said. "I'll just rest here."

She heard Glenn let out a sigh of relief and smiled to herself. Poor kid.

* * *

><p>The slowing of the car woke Lilli up. She had been in and out of consciousness the whole trip. That's why she hated being in any type of car. Her body's immediate reaction was to fall asleep. It was difficult to wake herself up and the three men didn't seem to mind that she slept. She felt as if she slept forever, but it had only been a little over an hour.<p>

"What's going on?" Lilli asked as she leaned forward. In front of them was a small convoy of cars. They sat in the middle of the road and there eaten bodies all around.

"Ew," Glenn said softly as he spotted the bodies. "See if you can drive around them."

"We should stop," Shane said. "Someone could be alive."

Daryl shook his head. "Or whatever happened to these poor bastards could happen to us."

"Stop the truck," Lilli commanded. They looked at her in surprise, but her eyes were fixed on the empty convoy that was ahead.

Daryl sighed in defeat as he stopped the truck and the four cautiously stepped out. All four of them had machetes on them as well as a secondary weapon. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder while Glenn held a bat. Lilli had a fireman's axe that she swore she could use and a machete in her belt, just in case. And Shane had his shotgun.

The four made their way to the cars. There wasn't much smell coming from the bodies since the bodies had been almost stripped clean.

"What do you think happened?" Glenn asked as they carefully examined the cars.

Lilli walked to the end of the convoy. There was nothing in the road ahead of them. The convoy for some reason just stopped. She turned and examined the hood of the lead car. The body of a man was on it. Something had been on top of him and torn up his throat.

"Fuck," Daryl said when he saw it. "Since when do geeks climb?" he asked.

"They don't," Lilli said. "He probably got up on the hood of his car and fell and died." She rationalized.

Shane walked over and saw the body.

"Let's go, guys," Glenn said nervously as he fidgeted. "We're almost there." The young man frowned when he spotted something on the hood other than the body.

"Yeah, we should hurry," Shane agreed.

Everyone headed back into the car. They were quiet as Daryl drove the rest of the way. Every once in a while Shane would turn and look at Lilli. She never returned his gaze as she looked out the window with a frown on her face.

"I wonder who she was," Glenn said, breaking the silence.

"Who?" Shane asked.

"The guy on the hood of the truck. He wrote a name with his blood before he died," Glenn responded. "I saw it from my angle."

"What was the name?" Shane asked as he turned and looked at the two in the back.

Lilli didn't seem interested as she continued to look out the window.

"Eve," Glenn replied.

"What?" Lilli nearly shrieked in alarm, surprising them all. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to say it that loud. Did you say Eve?"

Glenn nodded his head.

"Holy shit," Daryl whispered, interrupting their conversation. Everyone sat up straighter and stared ahead. Black smoke came out of various areas inside the base. It was a mess. Cars blocked the entrance in a large pile up. It was clear that the drivers had all attempted to leave at the same time, with disastrous results. Daryl parked the car as close as he could get and the group stepped out.

"Let's look for survivors and anything that can be of use but not too heavy to carry back," Shane said as he leveled his shotgun.

Whatever happened it had happened fast. Bodies lay all over the place and many with bullet wounds. The smell was horrible. Glenn covered his nose and mouth with his shirt, but it did little. He didn't want to go any further in, but he didn't want to stay behind. Daryl stopped next to a body and shot it in the head before he turned it over. "Looks like he's been dead at least a day," Daryl muttered as he rolled the body back onto its stomach. He didn't want to see the face of horror.

Lilli bent down and picked up a handgun from a body. She made sure that there were still bullets before she put it in the small of her back.

"I don't like this," Glenn said. Daryl and Shane both nodded their heads. They didn't want to go too far in.

Nothing moved which made it all the more eerie. "Here," Daryl said as he nodded to what looked like the main office building. The four cautiously entered the building, weapons ready to attack. Daryl led the way and held his crossbow ready.

"It's too quiet," Glenn whispered. Lilli nodded. The lights flickered. They looked at each other. "A running generator!" Glenn whispered. He smiled.

"Well then," Daryl said as he pushed the doors to the men's restroom open. The other two men looked at each other before they joined him.

Lilli giggled and shook her head before she entered the women's restroom. She pulled out her machete. In close quarters, it was the best weapon to use in defense. She didn't want to fire the gun. Cautiously, she opened every stall, ready for a walker to lung at her. Nothing did. She let out a sigh of relief before washing her hands.

It was strange how something so simple like washing one's hands felt amazing. She looked at the mirror and smiled to herself. A figured stood in the corner of the room and was behind the door when she had opened it.

"Shit," Lilli yelled as she turned and raised her weapon. The creature rushed her, but she easily slammed her machete into its skull. It briefly stopped and she kicked it back. .

"Lilli!" Shane shouted as he slammed the men's restroom door open.

The creature that attacked lay crumpled on the ground in front of the bathroom door. Lilli took a step toward it when her left foot gave way. She grabbed the sink to keep herself up. Shane slammed the door, but the creature's body didn't let him get in.

"Lilli!" he shouted again.

It looked at her with unnatural red eyes and lunged at her. The creature's momentum and open mouth made it easy for her to put her handgun in its mouth. She fired, killing it.

Shane pulled the creature off her and looked at her. "Were you bit?" he asked her. She shook her head. Suddenly, she found herself in his arms as he hugged her. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What happened?" Daryl snapped as he quickly entered. He saw the body of the creature on the floor then the two hugging. "We ain't got time for this! That shot will alert the others."

Shane quickly let her go and stood up. "Let's see if we can find anything," he told Daryl. "Glenn, you and Lilli make your way back to the truck. Start it up in case we have to run."

Shane and Daryl didn't wait for Glenn and Lilli to agree as they took off further into the building.

"Let's go," Glenn said as Lilli got to her feet. She nodded but walked over to the dead thing. She crouched over it and pulled out her machete before she opened its eyelid. "Lilli!" Glenn said.

"Okay," she responded as she moved away from it and walked out of the restroom. "Your fly is unzip," she said without looking at him and walking out the front door. Glenn stopped for a second and blushed with embarrassment.

She felt the presence before she heard Glenn shout. Her body immediately reacted and she ducked just on time. A sledgehammer slammed into the side mirror of the car that was beside her. She rolled forward and withdrew her machete. She turned and barely had time to dodge the next attack that was aimed at her head.

She felt the wind on her nose as the sledgehammer slammed into the ground millimeters from her face. She didn't give herself time to think and lunged at her attacker before they could raise the weapon again. The attacker didn't have time to react and was thrown onto the ground. Lilli placed her machete on the young girl's throat.

"Shit!" Lilli hissed.

The girl was at least in her late teens or early twenties. It was hard to imagine that her petite body could handle such a large and heavy weapon. Lilli stood up and stepped back, allowing the girl some room.

"What's going on?" Shane shouted as he and Daryl ran toward the girl with their weapons raised.

The girl's eyes grew wide with free and she quickly scooted away from them.

"Stop!" Lilli called out as she placed herself in-between the girl and the three men. Slowly, she turned and crouched to be at eye level with the girl. "I'm sorry," she said. "Evidently, we got on the wrong foot. My name is Lilli, that's Glenn, Daryl and Shane."

The girl's eyes narrowed and she didn't answer.

"Are there anymore survivors?"

The girl didn't respond.

Lilli let out a sigh. "Listen," she said firmly. "We are part of a larger group. A good group. If there is no one here for you then you should come with us. We don't bite or eat each other. I promise." She held her right hand up and smiled.

"Uh… guys!" Glenn said loudly. He stared in the direction of the base.

They turned and saw a small group of walkers heading their way.

"Let's go," Shane said as he ran toward the car.

"Us or them," Lilli said as she dashed after Shane. Daryl had a duffle bag and quickly placed it in the back of the truck.

Glenn grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her to her feet before forcing her to run with him. Everyone was in the truck before the first of the walkers made its way pass the crash. The girl turned and watched from the back window as they left the base behind. Her body trembled and she wrapped her arms around Glenn's. The young man looked at her in surprise.

Daryl snorted.


	6. Fortifying Their New Home

**A/N: First off, yeah! Walking Dead has been renewed for a third season. Wow… Sorry it took longer than I had anticipated. Rewrote one of the scenes many times, but it kept ending around the same area. I'm satisfied though. I hope I did good this chapter. First time I've written so… in-depth. Hope you guys continue to enjoy and thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts.**

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><p>It didn't take them nearly as long to return to the inn because Daryl had memorized the route. He expertly avoided all the obstacles on their way back. The young woman that they rescued didn't say a word to them, despite Shane's best efforts to communicate with her. Instead, she pressed her body against Glenn's, trying to keep out of contact with Lilli. If Lilli noticed, she didn't say anything. Shane didn't like it. The girl didn't even know Lilli and she was acting as if Lilli was going to harm her.<p>

"What the hell is this?" Daryl asked as he slowed the truck.

The entrance to the inn had been slightly modified since they left only a precious six hours earlier. Instead of having a temporary car fence they had the makings of a real fence surrounding the parking lot. Rick and the rest of the men stood up and waved as they pulled in. Lori stood at the entrance and quickly disappeared.

"What's going on?" Shane asked as soon as he got out of the truck.

"Well," Rick said as he looked around. "Michael got the generator to work. Figured we got at least a week or two of good use, if not more. The ladies decided that if Fort Benning was available then we would go there, but if it wasn't then we should have a fence built 'round here. Went into town and found a nice hardware store. We can do the back tomorrow. There really is no point in rushing things. I take it that Fort Benning didn't go well."

Shane nodded his head. "One survivor," he said as he pointed to the girl who cautiously got out of the truck. She kept her body pressed against Glenn's while her wide eyes darted around, engulfing her surroundings.

"She looks like a skittish deer," Rick commented.

Shane nodded his head. "And she hasn't said anything yet. Some reason she decided to attach herself to Glenn."

Rick smiled. "Glad you guys got here when you did. Want to get this fence up as fast as we can. Figured if we needed we could use the truck to destroy the fence and the other cars will follow."

Shane nodded. Daryl didn't even have to be asked as he started helping Michael. Andrea and Dale stood guard. There were three walkers on the ground, clearly killed by someone.

"Lilli!" Sara cried out as she ran toward her caretaker and hugged her.

"You're wet!" Lilli said in surprise as she quickly pushed the girl away.

Sara nodded her head enthusiastically. "They fixed the pool. Ms. Carol is watching us as we swim. Come and join us!" She tugged on Lilli's hand as she tried to get her to go.

Lilli pulled away. "Maybe later. I should help out here," she said with a smile.

Sara pouted but nodded as she ran back inside.

"What do you need me to do?" Lilli asked Rick.

With six people working on the fence they were able to finish before sun down. Areas that they were unable to put a fence on they placed the various cars that they wouldn't use. The various cars were packed in tightly so that no walker could squeeze through. There was a gate attached to the fence. If anyone from the outside needed in they could jump over a hood of a car or open the gate. If they needed out they could open the gate or ram it. Except for the gate, every area of the fence had a car behind it, just in case a crowd of zombies tried to knock it down.

The group smiled as they viewed their handiwork. They felt accomplished and for a second time they felt safe.

"God I'm hungry," T-Dog murmured as he headed back into the inn.

"Before any of you can eat you have to clean up," Georgia firmly stated. "Don't want you stinking up the dining room," she added. The rescued girl stood by her side. She had been the one to coax the girl off of Glenn, allowing the young man to help with the fence. Shane was a little relieved when Lori tried to talk to the girl, and the girl acted just as scared with her as she did with Lilli.

"It's nice having some running water," Rick said with a smile as he clapped Shane on the shoulder before walking into the inn.

"Shower time!" Glenn said excitedly as he followed the others.

Shane started to turn when he spotted Lilli. Michael stood next to her and it was clear that the two were whispering. Whatever they were talking about both looked pissed off. Michael turned and walked away, leaving Lilli alone. She stared at the gate, and wrapped her arms around her body as if she were cold. It was clear that she was thinking about something.

"You know," Shane said as he placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her toward the inn. "I do believe you lied to me, Miss Lilli umm..." He couldn't help but watch her during their hard day of work. The way her arms tensed as she picked up something heavy. She had rolled up her sleeves, and he could see the little freckles from the sun that was on her shoulders. And at times, when she stretched, her shirt would lift up and he would see her stomach muscles. She turned him on.

"Really?" She asked in surprise as she looked at him, but didn't move his arm from her shoulders. "Last names? It's the end of the world and you want a last name. Naw." She giggled. "And why you callin' me a liar?" She gave him a light punch in the side and he feigned pain.

"You told me that you sold crafts for a living, ma'am," he said. "These muscles you have." He pinched one of her arms, shaking his head. "And you worked too hard today for me to believe that's all you did."

Lilli giggled again. "Well," she started, clearing her throat. "My house was always in need of repair and no one ever did it right. So, as they say 'if you want something done right then do it yourself'." She smiled at him. "I had to learn how to do all this hard work so that my house came out perfectly."

"Thought it was your dad's house," Shane teased.

"Yes, but once he died it would go to me. So I was just looking after my interests. And look, at least the skills I learned came in handy today. It also helped that my brother was roughly 6'4" and all big and bulky." She pulled away from Shane and circled her arms around her body as if to show the mass that her brother was. "Stupid jerk liked to pick fights. So I had to keep myself fit so at least I was a little challenge for him when he picked fights." Her eyes dance with mischief as she looked back up at him. They stopped in front of her room and she opened the door.

He didn't know what came over him. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her close to him and kissed her. He half expected her to push him away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him as she opened her mouth. Their tongues danced together and he put his hands under her hair to keep her close.

She jumped up on him and wrapped her legs around his waist, using one leg to kick the door shut behind them as he staggered into the room. He used one arm to hold her up, while the other ran up her back and unhooked her bra. She quickly took off her shirt and he paused briefly to set her on the bed.

They stared at each other for a brief second. In comparison, she was bigger than Lori. Her body was nice and toned. Her muscles tensed slightly at the delay and fear crossed her eyes. He quickly started to unbutton his shirt and she helped him. As soon as it was off she returned to kissing him. Their urgency to be with each other intensified their roaming hands. With one hand she unbuckled his belt, allowing her other hand to roam his body. As soon as she pulled his pants down he tackled her. His eyes danced and he slowly licked her stomach. Her belly rose and he could hear her moan softly.

He loved the taste of her. He smiled and moved from her belly up to her face, slowly kissing and licking every asset of her body; her stomach, her breasts, her collar bone, her neck. She moaned in excitement and her fingers slid through his hair. Finally he kissed her lips as her hands explored his body. His hands found their way back down and he pulled her pants down to her knees.

Lilli met his mouth with hers and used her legs to kick the pants off. One hand ran up her legs then went into her underwear, while the other was on her breast. She let in a gasp. Both their eyes lit up. They both needed this and they were both ready.

"Lilli!" Sara's muffled voice shouted.

"Shit!" Lilli whispered as she threw Shane off of her, causing him to fall onto the ground. They both jumped to their feet and Shane quickly put on his pants, while Lilli grabbed a dress and put it on.

The door opened and Sara paused briefly. "We have binoculars here, too," she shouted to someone. "I'll meet you upstairs. Lilli!"

Shane had just enough time to start buttoning his shirt when Sara ran in and started to pull open the dresser drawers. "This is so cool," she said as she turned and looked at Lilli. She spotted Shane and looked at him in confusion as he blushed. It seemed that she shrugged it off as she focused on Lilli. "Where are they?"

Lilli pointed to the one drawer that Sara hadn't opened.

Sara let out a snort as she quickly opened it and pulled them out. "There is a giraffe outside!" Sara said as she turned then stopped. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Both nodded, but breathed in deeply. "I'm fine," Lilli replied, putting her hand in her hair.

"Well, hurry!" Sara said as she ran to the door. "The giraffe might leave soon. We're going to the second floor to see it better." She beaconed for them to follow her before she ran out, and allowed the door to slam shut behind her.

"What was this Lt. Gonzalez thinking when he took out all the locks on the door?" Shane asked with a shake of his head.

Lilli giggled as she put her hair into a messy ponytail. He couldn't help but sigh. Neither wanted to risk getting caught by anyone else, especially the little girl, again. Lilli picked up her clothes and dumped them in a corner next to her bed. Then she walked over to a dresser draw and pulled something out. She turned and looked at Shane. He looked at her curiously and slightly tilted his head. Her breasts sagged ever so slightly due to having no bra on. And her nipples showed through the fabric. She looked gorgeous in the orange sundress.

Her eyes danced with mischief. "He thought that if we needed to easily warn people and get into rooms that we should be able to do it with ease," she said as she neared him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Sounds like you were very _very _close to him," he said softly.

"Jealous?" she teased.

"Very," he said as he kissed her. She eagerly returned his kiss before she pulled away.

"You shouldn't be," she said. "He was married and I don't do that." She turned and started to walk away.

What she had said it had hurt him. He knew that she didn't know, but he couldn't help but wince at that statement. Not that it was his fault. He didn't know that Rick was alive. But still. When he did he still lusted after Lori.

She stopped and looked back at him. For a brief moment, he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He gave her his best smile as he started toward her. She held up a card and winked. "I got a master key," she said. "The second and third floor rooms are all locked, but cleared. But we'll have to wait till Sara is asleep."

He took two long steps to get to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "It will be a hard wait," he whispered in her ear.

"But worth it," she replied as she pulled away.

He grabbed her hand and the two walked out. They went upstairs to the second floor.

"Wow," Sara said in awe. They followed the voices of the three children who were giddy with excitement. One of the bedroom doors was open.

Shane raised his eyebrows as they entered the room. Lori and Carol stood next to their children and Rick was behind Sara. Rick turned and looked at them then smiled.

"You should see this," he whispered as he pointed out the window. Lilli immediately went over to Sara while Shane stopped and looked around.

The room had clearly been lived in. Shane spotted a familiar crossbow and looked surprise as Rick walked over to him.

"He came down and told the kids that he saw a giraffe and to get binoculars," Rick said as he placed himself next to his friend. "Guess he's not as bad as we thought."

Shane chuckled. "Maybe," he said.

He watched Lilli crouch and gently move Sara. "Wow," the little girl said. "Oh no!"

The two men quickly walked over to see what was happening.

"Pretty," Sophia said.

The giraffe ran down the road until it disappeared.

"Think it will be back tomorrow?" Sara asked.

"Yeah!" Carl said as he looked excitedly at his parents.

"I don't know," Rick said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Hopefully it will."

"Let's go downstairs to eat," Lori said.

The children didn't answer as they ran out of the room. Lori spotted Lilli and looked startled, then she smiled politely. "Shall we?" she asked.

Rick placed his arm around his wife as they walked out. Lilli hesitated and looked out the window again. Shane joined her.

"What's out there that you stare at?" he asked her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's been a while since we've seen any big animals," she said as turned away. "Dogs, cats, and most of the other domesticated animals have all disappeared. It's nice to see that there are some living creatures out there that are not only walkers."

He nodded then sighed as he followed her down the stairs.

"You're such a liar!" Lucy's voice shrieked into the hallways.

Both Shane and Lilli looked at each other, before they ran in the direction of the shouting.

"What did I do now?" Daryl snapped back.

"Oh!" Lucy said, heatedly. "You promised me that you would come back injured. And look at ya. Not a scratch!" She crossed her arms over her chest, but her eyes danced with amusement.

Shane stared at her in surprise while Lilli stifled a giggle.

"What the fuck?" Daryl said. "You were serious about that? You wanted me to get injured so you could patch me up?"

Lucy threw her hands up in the air. "Of course! I mean, guys are always taking care of the ladies. I would like to feel at least somewhat useful in taking care of my men. I mean, the men around here. And you are the more likely of candidates to get hurt."

"Oh, that's comforting," Daryl snorted.

The two eyed each other and the sexual tension between them seemed to strengthen.

"I might have a splinter," Daryl finally muttered.

"A splinter?" Lucy yelled as she grabbed his arm. "A tough guy like you can't handle a splinter?" Even though she seemed to be chiding him she dragged him away and toward the infirmary room.

"Hell, woman," Daryl said, not fighting as she pulled him away. "If you don't want to look at my injury then you can just say so."

"Shut up!"

Their arguments muffled as she slammed the door to the infirmary shut.

"Don't think we should go in there anytime soon," Andrea said as she shook her head.

"Maybe we should come up with these signs telling people when they should and shouldn't enter the rooms," Lilli said as she grabbed a plate for food and put a sandwich on it.

"That is a great idea," Shane said.

"What we need is locks," Andrea commented then let out a sigh.

"I think I'll call a meeting for tonight to plan our steps for the future," Rick said.

"Why tonight?" Lori asked as she looked at her husband. "Near as I can see, we've pretty much decided to stay here for a while. You folks who were out there putting up that fence must be tired. Why not do it tomorrow mornin' before ya'll start workin'?"

Rick looked at his wife then at the few who were eating.

"I agree with Lori," Shane said with a nod of his head.

"Besides," Lori added. "Don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want to interrupt what those two may or may not be doing."

Andrea let out a soft chuckle. No one knew exactly what Lucy and Daryl were doing, although they could guess. And no one wanted to find out what would happen if they interrupted. Daryl was a very hard person to read. It was clear that he liked changing the way he acted to keep people on their toes.

"I really hope that's not a glimpse in our future for those two," Lori muttered before she took a drink of water. "The whole fighting. I'm sure it'll start to upset the children."

Rick shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," he said as he kissed Lori's cheek. Lori smiled, but rolled her eyes.


	7. Memories and Decisions

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews. Hope you continue to enjoy the story. Story is developing faster in my mind than I can write. Don't want to give too much away. I know that Shane and Lilli have only known each other for a short time, but people have to live life in the fast lane in this time. Never know when death by zombie can happen. Reviews/alerts/faves are always loved. Thanks again guys.**

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><p><em>Lilli's music blasted through her headphones, making it impossible for her to hear anything. Her breathing was labored. She had just finished running two miles and had barely returned home. She ran up the steps of her front porch and opened the door to her house.<em>

_Her house was located in the countryside and had quite a lot of flat land on it. It wasn't a farm and she had no farm animals._

_It was a perfect day out. A gentle breeze cooled her as she ran, but her clothes were still covered in sweat. She hummed to the tune of her song as she walked into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple from the counter and opened the fridge. She slammed the fridge shut after she took out a water bottle._

_A hand grabbed her, causing her to jump in surprise, dropping her bottle of water._

_"Son of a bitch!" she yelled as she took out her headphones._

_Jessica smiled, evilly at her. "How are ya, sis?" she asked as she hugged her sister._

_"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Lilli said with a laugh as she returned her sister's hug. "What brings you here?"_

_Jessica moved back and Lilli spotted Mark behind her. "I told her you hated surprises," Jessica's husband said with a laugh. "But you know your sister. Once she has her heart set on something she refuses to change it." The two hugged and Lilli laughed, nodding her head._

_"Don't tell me you flew all the way down here to scare me?" Lilli teased as she looked at her sister._

_Jess smiled mischievously. The two looked very similar in appearance and height. Except, Jess had a small scar on her cheek and her hair was short and blonde. Lilli was a brunette and had more muscles than her sister. _

_"I'm going to have a baby!" Jess said happily._

_Lilli shrieked in excitement as she grabbed her sister. "Congratulations!" she said and laughed._

_Jess pushed her back and winked. "Now you have to find yourself a man and get yourself pregnant so that you're not left alone."_

_Lilli giggled. "We'll see. Have you told Gabby yet?" _

_Jess shook her head. "Keep getting his answering machine. Tried to contact Bridgett to see where he was at, but she hasn't answered either. Where's dad?"_

_Lilli shrugged. "Hasn't been home for a couple of days. I was going to call him today."_

_The three headed toward the living room._

_"Jesus, Lils," Jess said as she looked at the answering machine. "Do you even answer the phone?"_

_Lilli laughed. "Yeah? Why?" She walked over to the machine and frowned. The number 52 blinked. It had been maxed out. Lilli went to press play when she froze. _

_Jess frowned. "You alright?" she asked when she noticed that her sister paled._

_The woman stood behind everyone. She had long curly blonde hair and wore a white dress. She looked almost ethereal. Lilli's voice was trapped inside of her throat. She couldn't warn Mark._

_Mark screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground. Jess turned and screamed in horror as a woman pulled the flesh off of Mark's neck. "Fuck!" Jess screamed as she kicked the woman in the face, sending her flying onto the ground. "Baby!" she said in concern as she went to grab her husband._

_Lilli grabbed her sister and pulled her away from him. The other woman staggered to her feet. "Jess," Lilli cried as her sister pulled away from her._

_Jess gave out an animal scream as she lunged at the crazed woman. "I'll fucking murder you!" she screamed as Mark gasped and tried to press his hand against his wound._

_Lilli grabbed her sister and pulled her back. "Stop fighting me," Lilli cried out as she dragged her sister away._

_"You will die by my hands!" Jess spat at the woman. _

_The woman staggered to her feet. She bore the nail scratches on her face and suddenly howled as she ran at the two._

_"Shit!" the sisters screamed as they ran. _

_Lilli slammed a door shut behind them and they heard the woman slam her body into the door. It held. The two women ran out the back door and into the woods. They didn't stop for what seemed like hours. Finally, Jess slowed down and Lilli followed suite. Jess started to cry as she dropped to her knees._

_"Fucking hell," she cried out. _

_Lilli fell to her knees and looked at her sister. Then she saw the bite mark that was on her shoulder._

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><p>A chill ran down Lilli's spine causing her to wake up. She opened her eyes and quickly sat up in bed. She took in deep breaths as chills ran up and down her body. Why had her mind decided to replay the events of that terrible day?<p>

Lilli looked around in confusion. She didn't recognize her surroundings. Shane mumbled something and she turned to look at him. They were both naked in bed. It was then that she remembered.

After she put Sara to bed and made sure that the girl was asleep and safe she and Shane went upstairs. What a night. The instant they entered the room both of their clothes were off. They didn't even make it on to the bed.

Lilli laid down and stared at Shane. He lay on his stomach and had his head turned away from her. His arms were under the pillow, so that it lifted his head higher. She was tempted to run her hands down his smooth back, but she didn't want to wake him up.

The night had been fun, to say the least. Both of them needed the release that sex brought to their bodies. And she was positive that this was the first time that either of them slept so soundly. It was a strange situation for her. She had few boyfriends in her life, and never had sex with anyone so soon after meeting them. She didn't know much about Shane and he didn't know much about her.

But it was for comfort that they turned to each other. She realized that she had no fantasies of marrying Shane. Maybe, when they truly got to know each other and if they were right for each other. But at the same time neither knew how long the other would survive. She liked being with him. It comforted her to be able to be in the arms of a man and to hear a heartbeat other than her own. But would she really like him when she truly got to know him? The far better question would be would he like her once he found out all her secrets?

Lilli got up and quietly got dressed before she left the room. The hallway was partially lit from the morning sun. She made her way downstairs and into the dining room. She needed to think.

"Mornin," Dale said cheerfully as he looked at her. "Wow, you're glowing."

Lilli blushed and waved her hand, dismissing his comment. "You're up early," she told him.

Dale chuckled. "So are you," he said. "Made some coffee." He held up his cup then pointed to a coffee maker.

"I'll stick with water," she replied as she grabbed a bottle of water and sat down next to him. "Caffeine tends to make me super bitchy."

"Ah," he said. "You know. I'll be surprised if more people wake up this early. I'm an old man and my body just wakes me up at this hour. But everyone else," he shook his head.

She giggled and nodded her head.

"It's so nice to see people getting together, despite all the… stuff that's going on out there," he pointed to the covered up windows. "And that kid," he paused and shook his head. "He really needed someone," he mumbled, more to himself than to her.

She blushed again and smiled.

"And this is a good place," he said, nodding as he looked around. "Nice to actually have a bed to sleep in. And the back? We could start a garden back there or even up on the roof. Saw plenty of bags of seed for food. Your Lt. Gonzalez thought of a lot."

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "He planned ahead for the future."

Dale reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked at him and tried to smile but she couldn't. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "You couldn't have done anything to stop it."

Lilli nodded. "I think I'm more upset about is the fact that I could so easily move on. I mean," she paused, thinking about the words that she wanted to use. "Here I am, enjoying my life and they are dead. I was never close with them. Only with Lucy, but I think that's more because I saved her. Sara…" she stopped and shook her head. "I don't feel guilty or that upset about their deaths. I should, but I just can't." She shrugged.

Dale watched her for a minute and she finally returned his gaze. "It's okay," he said firmly. "Looks like you've been able to adapt a little better with this situation than others have. We all come and go in this life, and especially right now. But we have to learn to keep on living. Someday this will be past us, and then we can rebuild. But we need to learn to continue living, even after our loved ones die."

Lilli looked down and swallowed.

"Heard you played the piano," Dale said, changing the topic.

She smiled and nodded.

"Do…" Dale stopped talking as he thought. Finally he continued. "Do you happen to know the song 'Fur Elise'?"

She nodded her head. "One of the few that I memorized."

"If you don't mind," he said, almost nervously. "I would like to hear you play it once we find a piano. My wife, she used to play it." He leaned back and smiled, thinking about the memory. "I'm glad she wasn't here to see this."

Lilli nodded her head. "Well," she said as she stood up. "I'll see you later, Dale. I'm going to get changed."

Dale nodded as he leaned back and took a sip of his coffee.

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><p>Once again, the adults were sitting in the meeting room. Rick had called the meeting for them to discuss their next move. It was right after breakfast and just before they were going to go out and fence in the back.<p>

Shane made sure that he sat next to Lilli. She smiled at him. He wanted to reach out and grab her hand, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to be so open with her just yet.

"So," Rick said as he clapped his hands. "As you all know, there is that place in South Carolina. They say they have the cure. It will probably take us all day to get there. But we're not doing so bad here. We have food, beds, electricity, running water, and few walkers to deal with. If we set up the fence in the back we'll be completely surrounded. Dale even said that he found seeds for vegetables. We can grow a garden and can probably last here for a good while." He paused as he looked at everyone. "I want to know what people think," he finally said.

"I think we should stay." Lilli was the first to speak, surprising everyone. "We have all the comforts right now. What is the rush in going to South Carolina?"

"Maybe they have limited space," Georgia pointed out.

"But we're safe here. We have enough food, water and power to last us a couple of weeks. We can hit the town that's nearby and get more supplies. There aren't many walkers here, just enough that a small group can handle. We sleep comfortably here and we can really make this inn our home. So they have a cure? I mean, if they do what will that do? It'll exclude the chance of us getting infected, but not the chance of us getting eaten." She stopped and looked at everyone. "Maybe they have limited space. Why would you want to trade the comfort that we have for possible discomfort? And…" she paused as if unsure how to continue. "I don't know the people you guys have come across. But if these people really do have a cure or vaccine or whatever there has to be a price. There is always a price for these things," she finished.

Rick and Shane both nodded in agreement.

"The woods out back probably haven't been picked clean either," Daryl said, breaking the silence. "Could probably find a deer or two."

Georgia let out a sigh.

"If anyone wants to leave we won't stop you," Rick said as he looked at the older woman.

She raised her arms in defeat. "I ain't leavin' you all," she said, shaking her head. "I'm an old woman and not up for that type of travel on my own."

Rick looked at Lori who smiled.

"Right now," Lori said barely loud enough for everyone to hear. "I think comfort and security is what we all need, at least, our group. We haven't been able to rest or be at peace since this whole mess started. And this is good for the children."

Carol nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we can get a couple of folks to raid the school or a bookstore for some books to teach the children," Lori added. "Maybe even get some survival guides.

Michael calmly stood up. "I'm going to South Carolina," he said, changing the subject. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Okay," Rick said with a nod of his head.

"But," Lilli started but stopped when the old man glared at her.

"I _will _go there," he stated firmly. "I will see if they have this cure or whatever. If they do then I'll be back to tell everyone. Give me two or three weeks to return."

Georgia frowned and sat up straighter. "It won't take you that long to…"

"I'm not going straight there!" Michael snapped then he sighed. "I have somewhere else that I want to go first."

Georgia turned red as she looked away.

"We'll give you some supplies that should last you the time," Rick said softly.

Michael shook his head. "I got what I need. Just wanted to tell ya'll that I was leaving."

Shane noticed Lilli clench her fingers. Neither Michael nor Lilli seemed to be on good terms, yet she appeared to be upset by his decision. Before anyone could say anything else, Michael left the room. The silence was awkward as everyone slowly followed him.

Rick, Shane, Lilli and Daryl followed Michael out of the inn. Michael's car was a two door Alero and it was clear that he had already packed what he needed.

"Good luck," Rick told him as he shook his hand. "I'll make sure to leave directions if we end up leaving this place before you come back."

Michael smiled. "You are a good man, Rick" he said. "Keep doing what you do and keep these people safe."

"Wait!" Georgia shouted as she ran over to them. She had a plastic bag in her hands that she had placed some food in. "We got plenty and can get more. It'll be more difficult for you," she stated as she placed the food in the front seat. She hugged him and let out a deep breath as she walked away. Her body shook as she tried to control her emotions.

"Don't forget," Rick said as Michael opened the driver's door. "You're always welcome to return for any reason."

Michael let out a small smile as he nodded. Suddenly, he gasped in surprise as Lilli rushed over to him and hugged him. Shane and Rick were surprised by her actions.

"Don't get yourself infected," she commanded as she let him go.

He seemed just as surprised by her words as the others. Before he could answer she walked away. Shane followed after her. Without another word Michael left.

"Wait!" Shane called after Lilli.

She stopped and looked back at him. He grabbed her and took her into the backroom where the employees used to be in.

"Are you mad?" he asked her.

"Why would I be mad?" she asked in surprise.

"About last night," he continued. "I thought it was… well… You got up and left without waking me."

Lilli chuckled before sighing and placing her head on his chest. "I'm not mad, Shane," she finally said as she pulled away. "We just… I jumped this too quickly. But, I don't regret it. Don't know when one of us will die. It would be nice if we properly dated, but in this time?" She chuckled. "I don't want Sara getting up without me in the room. But I don't want _us _to be in the room. Not yet. I don't want to scare or scar her in anyway. She has enough to deal with. If you want me to I'll wake you up when I get up."

Shane sighed. "I just don't want you to think I…" he paused, thinking about his words. "We don't know each other very well. I want to get to know you better. I just feel…"

"Kind of weird about topics?" she asked.

He nodded his head.

Lilli giggled. "I know," she said. "Don't know when it's good to talk about the past and what's the point in knowing someone's favorite song when you can't play it?"

Shane smiled. "I'm willing to try to make it work if you are," he said.

"Hmmm," Lilli said as she pondered. "I don't know. I think I like using you as my little sex toy."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, making her scream in delight.


	8. First Date

Shane and Lilli crept their way into the local bookstore. There were only ten walkers that anyone in their group of four could see. This time, T-Dog accompanied them as well as Daryl. The two men were outside, distracting the walkers allowing Shane and Lilli to enter the store.

Both Shane and Lilli held their machetes ready to attack, neither wanted to use loud weapons like guns since they could avoid it. Still, Shane had his shotgun slung behind his back and Lilli had a handgun. Both had backpacks to put the books and other material in.

Lilli stopped next to a door and looked through the little window. There didn't appear to be anything inside. Shane went to kick the door open, but she stopped him. She twisted the handle then smiled as the door opened.

"Huh," Shane whispered in surprise.

"I thought it was worth a try," she giggled.

The two entered the store and looked around. There was dust in the large room; clearly no one had been in there in a long time.

"What we need to do is find survival books," Shane said.

Lilli nodded as she went toward the outdoor and nature books. Shane followed her.

It had been five days since they decided to stay in the inn. The back of the inn took longer to put up the fence than they realized. They had to make a wider fence and had to return to town to get more materials.

On the third day, the mothers decided that the best way to occupy the children was to have them start helping with the new vegetable garden. It was more because no one was free to get books for the children. The fence came first, then the books.

Lilli grabbed a random book and looked at the title. She snorted, shaking her head. "Interesting the stuff people publish and would get read," she said as she put the book away.

"Any idea which one of these is good?" Shane asked as he pulled a book out. He wasn't much of a reader, but he knew enough that not all survival guides were accurate or very good.

Lilli shrugged her shoulders. "Ironically, I usually read garbage like that book," she said. "Let's get one of each."

Shane nodded as they quickly put the books in their bags.

"Maroon," she said.

Shane looked confused at first then laughed. "Brown," he stated.

"Really?" she asked with a chuckle.

Shane shrugged and gave her his best smile. "Not much into colors. Might have to make another trip," Shane changed the subject as he lifted his bag. It was heavy and he was sure Lilli's was as well.

She nodded. "At least we're not going anywhere anytime soon," she giggled. The two made their way outside and Lilli closed the door. "Don't want walkers creeping in there since we'll probably come back," she said.

Shane agreed with her. They both headed in the direction of the inn. There was one walker in the area. The thing saw them and started toward them. The sounds of a truck caught there attention and Daryl slammed his truck into the walker. It was sent flying through the streets.

"Plan on walking all the way back?" Daryl teased as the two dumped their bags in the back and jumped into the backseat.

"Circle around so they don't come to the inn," Lilli said.

"I ain't no 'tard?" Daryl snapped as he ran over the walker that was slowly getting to its feet. It didn't take them that long to return to the inn, but from a less direct route.

Andrea, Rick, Lucy and Glenn were already waiting for them when they arrived.

"Guess I owe you ten bucks, Lilli," Lucy shouted.

Rick looked at her in surprise.

The Latina shrugged. "She bet me that they would get back here before noon. I lost," she gave him a wolfish smile, making Rick laugh.

"Looks like you got some good stuff," Rick said as he started to help unload the back. The books weren't the only thing that the group of four got. They had also raided the local grocery store for more food and other items. They weren't in immediate need of the food, but they wanted to have it on hand for emergencies.

"Safe to say that all the vegetables and fruit are no longer any good," Shane said to his friend as the two handed boxes of canned food to the others.

"I was thinking," Lilli said as she handed one of the backpacks of books down to Andrea. "We should search the farms that are around here. There can be trees with fruit that are still good. Also make a good backup in case we get overrun here or something. A place we can go." She jumped out of the truck and looked at Shane and Rick who seemed surprise by her suggestion.

"That's a great idea," said Rick with a nod of his head.

"Maybe," Lucy said somewhat skeptical. The three looked at her as if she were crazy. "I mean, I'm sure that other people have thought of using a farmhouse as their home. Not all groups of people are the…" she paused. "Friendliest," she continued. "We have to be careful when we go there. I'm sure that other people will have the same idea. A farm house usually has a fence and gate that surrounds it. And not to mention the farming ability, maybe even farm animals. But I'm sure other people have thought of that. They could try to shoot us on sight. So I'm just saying we have to be careful."

Rick nodded. "Makes sense," he said. His mind went back to the group that took care of elderly folks in Atlanta. They had nearly killed each other because of the mistrust. He would not be surprised if they found themselves in the same situation.

"We can always send out a recon team to see…" Lilli started but Shane interrupted her.

"Why don't we just relax for a day or two?" he asked. "We got plenty of food, water, books and other items. We kind of need to relax. Seeing as how we barely finished putting up that fence yesterday. And didn't Lori have the kids start a garden already?"

Lilli blushed and Rick laughed.

"You're right, Shane," he said as he clapped his friend on his back. "How about we rest the rest of today and tomorrow." He didn't wait for his friend to answer as he turned and walked away.

Lucy winked at Lilli as she dropped some keys into Shane's hands. "I do believe that your schedule has been cleared for the rest of the day."

Lilli frowned as she watched her friend go over to the gate then she looked at Shane. He looked nervous as he cleared his throat. "Lilli," he said firmly as he looked at her. "Would you like to go on a date?"

She blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked. "Where?"

He gave her a half smile as he tilted his head toward her. He held out his hand to her and she grabbed it. The two walked toward a Sedan and he opened the door for her. She seemed surprise but got in. He closed the door behind her and got into the passenger seat. Lucy waved goodbye to them as she opened the gate.

"What is this, Shane?" Lilli quietly asked. She didn't know why, but she was nervous.

"I figured that it's only proper if we went out on a date or two," Shane said as he stared at the road. "Just cuz the world has changed for the worst don't mean that certain traditions shouldn't stand."

Lilli bit her lip to keep from giggling and looked out the window. They didn't drive far and he pulled into a deserted road then after a minute there was a small clearing. He stopped the car in the middle. She waited as he exited the car and allowed him to open the door for her.

"And they said that chivalry was dead," she cooed.

Shane smiled as he opened the trunk.

"How did you arrange this?" she asked in surprise as he pulled out a backpack.

"Lucy heard me saying how I wanted to take you out. Rick went out and found this clearing yesterday. Perfect spot to picnic, far enough away from the few people and yet we can see if anyone sneak up on us," he said as he set the pack down. "And Georgia made the food."

Lilli nodded. "You can see everything from here," she said.

Shane smiled as he pulled out a sheet.

"I can't believe Lucy was able to keep this a secret," she mused as she helped him place the sheet down. "And to get Georgia in on it too?"

"What can I say?" Shane said as he smiled. "I can be very persuasive."

Lilli leaned in and kissed him. "Thank you," she said.

He sat back. "For what?"

She waved her arms at her surroundings. "Everything. It's perfect."

He smiled and unpacked the rest of the food. "Wine?" he asked her.

"Don't mind if I do," she said as she grabbed both plastic cups for him to fill. "A toast?" she asked as he put some in his cup.

He nodded.

"To our group," Lilli said with a smile. "May they continue to surprise us with these little pleasures."

Shane smiled as they tapped their cups together.

"We're going to have to repay them somehow," Lilli said as she thought.

Shane crawled over to her, shaking his head. "Lucy said you might be thinking ahead again. Told me to tell you that you are forbidden and must think about this moment," his voice dropped as he started to breath in deeper.

Lilli's eyes glistened as she set her cup down, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He happily returned her kiss then pulled back. "Now there is a way these things are to properly go," he stated then winked.

"Oh my god!" Lilli said with a laugh. "You're such a tease."

Shane turned and pulled out the food. It wasn't much. Just some sandwiches, small bag of chips and two packs of pudding. Lilli's smile didn't fade as she took a bite out of her sandwich and looked around. Shane stretched his body across the ground and rested on his right side as he looked at her.

"A marine biologist," she said then looked at him.

"What?" he asked her.

"When I was younger I had dreams of becoming a marine biologist," she continued.

Shane laughed. "Always an officer of the law," he told her.

"Seems to me that you would have been a very mischievous boy from a young age," Lilli commented. Her eyes glistened with laughter. "Why an officer?"

Shane shrugged. "So I can get away with my pranks," he told her.

She laughed a real laugh and he smiled. No one laughed real hard anymore, just chuckles or small laughs. "You must have some great stories from High School," she said.

Shane smiled impishly. "And you? Bet you were the most popular girl in High School," he told her.

Lilli shook her head. "Not exactly," she said. "Gabby and Jess were. I was always more of the outsider." She laughed and Shane shook his head.

"Can't believe that about you," he said. "You're too pretty. But I do bet you and your siblings knew how to do pull mean pranks," he said.

Lilli smiled and nodded.

"You tell me one and I'll tell you one," Shane told her.

"Let's see," she said as she thought. "Okay," she nodded and turned, sat Indian style and looked at him. "One Halloween the three of us and our friends went trick or treating. There were about twenty of us and I think we were maybe thirteen. We lived kind of in the suburbs, very nice, lots of houses that looked similar. So as a prank, my brother convinced all of us to move the cars around. One thing about my brother is that he knew how to talk eloquently. We all thought it was a fantastic idea. For the cars belonging to strangers we only moved them just enough to confuse the people. For the dad of one of our friends, we turned his car completely around."

Shane laughed. "Did you get caught?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sure that they figured it was us, but we never got in trouble. I wish I had seen the looks on their faces when they came out the next day and saw their cars parked in such a strange way."

Shane smiled and she leaned in closer to him. They kissed.

"Your turn," she said as she pulled away.

Shane sighed. "I was a saint," he said.

"Bullshit!" Her eyes danced with mirth

"Alright," he sat up and rested both arms on a propped knee. "I really liked playing pranks on our principal." He smiled at the memory. "Rick was a little bit more hesitant. He never ratted on me, but he always liked to caution me. But I got 'im and a bunch of the boys in on this prank. It was before an assembly, me and a bunch of the boys completely dismantled the man's car and brought it into the gym. We didn't have a big school and it would have been noticed, but a couple of the teachers helped us. We got the car assembled inside of the gym."

The two laughed.

"The look on his face was priceless," he said, shaking his head. "The Notebook," he said after a moment of silence.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Best romantic film," he replied.

She laughed, shaking her head. "An Affair to Remember," she said.

He tilted his head. "Never saw it," he replied.

Lilli smiled. "Long story short, two people meet on a cruise. They fall in love, but are dating other people. They decide that if they still loved each other then they would meet again in the Empire State Building six months later. But she doesn't show."

"Kind of a bummer isn't it?" he asked her.

Lilli shook her head. "They both continue their lives, but the ending is the best. He finds her again after a little bit of time. But she doesn't tell him why she wasn't there. He was a painter and had a painting of her, but a woman in a wheelchair wanted it. Then he realized that the woman in the wheelchair was her and the reason why she didn't appear was because she had an accident." She leaned against him. "Best film ever. I'm going to find it and make you watch it."

He laughed.

"Have to get some tissues. I always cry at the end," she chuckled and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She placed her head on his shoulder and he ran his fingers up and down her arm. She looked up at him and kissed him. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"This is perfect," she replied. "I think you deserve a reward for making a perfect moment in this crazy ass world."

He smiled as they kissed. She straddled him and pushed him to the ground as they kissed. Their tongues danced together as his hands ran up her shirt. She raised her arms, allowing him to take it off. Her hands found his pants and started to unbutton them as he unbuttoned hers. She tugged his pants down to his knees before she stopped.

He reached up to kiss her, but she pushed him down. "Whoa," he said in surprise. He looked at her and frowned. She was completely pale and looking into the woods.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he looked around. There wasn't any sign of a walker or anything.

"Jess!" she shouted as she jumped to her feet and sprinted toward the woods.

"Fuck, Lilli!" Shane shouted as he quickly pulled on his pants. He started toward her, then cursed as he ran back to the car and grabbed his shotgun. Why had he left it there? Lilli was already in the woods by the time he started after her. "LillI!" he shouted as soon as he entered the woods. He held his shotgun ready to use.

Finally, he spotted her. She had her hands in her hair as she paced near a tree. She was clearly upset. He rushed over to her and quickly hugged her. She seemed surprise by his move. "Don't do that again!" he nearly shouted at her. "What if there were more than one of those things out here? Ya don't even have a proper weapon."

"Sorry," she whispered.

Slowly, the two made their way back to the car. Shane quickly wrapped everything inside of the blanket and put it in the car. The moment was gone and he didn't want to stay in the area anymore. Lilli didn't protest as they pulled away. Instead, she let out a long drawn out sigh.

"Is it possible that you saw your sister?" he finally asked her. "Do you think she could have been alive all this time? But she got scared?" He couldn't help but sound somewhat hopeful. She had mentioned previously that her siblings could be alive. And the moment that Rick was reunited with his family was priceless. Shane let out a small smile at the memory.

Lilli reached out and grabbed his hand, but didn't look at him or answer. "I'm sorry I ruined our date," she finally whispered.

Shane sighed and shook his head. "You or the geeks," he said. "Something was going to happen. You still owe me."

Lilli chuckled and nodded. "I'll make it up to you," she said as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Think I'm going to start putting these on the bottom so you can skip them if you want. I don't know why but I really love cock blocking Shane. Thanks everyone for continuing to read my story and reviewing/alerts/favs. Granted, I would love more reviews. Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy my story. _**

**_Shippolove844 – Yeah, poor Lilli. But can't have her entire family living now can I? _**

**_Padme4000 – Thank you. I hope this chapter impresses you as well._**

**_TrustMeI'mTheDoctor – I've loved Shane since season 1. I love watching what his character does. And yes, he is hot.(:_**


	9. Water Fight

It had been a long, but nearly perfect three weeks. The few loud arguments that were ever heard in the inn were between Daryl and Lucy. Both adults seemed to take pleasure in their arguments, which they tried to keep down. It was clear that neither would hurt the other physically. It almost seemed like foreplay between the two.

Still, Lori couldn't help but complain about them. She didn't like arguments. Luckily, her relationship with Rick had gotten stronger. It helped her that he had little to no reason to leave the inn. Natalie, the new girl, and Glenn were also in a new and interesting relationship. Both were shy about expressing their feelings in front of everyone.

Natalie had been able to form bonds with everyone, including Lilli. Although it was clear to everyone that she was still nervous around Lilli. If the young woman was troubled by Natalie's behavior she didn't show it.

Lilli and Shane were a different matter. After their semi-successful date the two decided to official say they were dating. Of course, they argued from time to time. Lilli was like Rick in the fact that she thought ahead. She wanted to make sure that they were absolutely safe and still had options just in case they weren't. And it was clear that she was getting antsy being stuck in the inn all the time.

It was one of their most recent arguments. She wanted to go out and explore other areas just in case. He didn't understand why she wanted to risk her life when they had everything they needed. Even without power the inn was habitable.

Sara had taken a strong liking to Shane and he liked the little girl. She was just as shy Sophia, but she and Carl liked to play pranks on everyone. Shane loved helping the two with their mischief. It was his specialty. And both children like the ideas that he had. Lori, on the other hand, didn't like them. Still, it helped lighten the mood from time to time.

"And that'll be $2000," Natalie said rather calmly.

"Little help?" Lilli asked Shane who leaned back in his chair.

"What will you give me in return?" he teased.

"I'll give you Atlantic Avenue," she said.

Shane shook his head. "Sorry, Lils. Gonna have to give me something much more tasty," he winked at her.

Lilli snorted as she shook her head. "What has this world come to when a boyfriend doesn't help his girlfriend? And I'm done," she said as she pushed all the cards and money that she had at the young woman.

Natalie giggled maniacally as she took the money and cards.

"Not going to stay to watch me win?" Shane asked Lilli as she stood up.

"I think I'm going to check on the kids," she replied as she lifted her nose in the air.

Lori chuckled as she rolled the dice and clapped with excitement as Shane groaned.

It was Georgia's idea to start the game of Monopoly. They had decided to make it into a tournament. Two weeks prior, Rick, Shane, Lilli, Daryl and Glenn went out to get nonessential items for the group. Everyone agreed that they felt relatively safe and that it would do them good to have items to entertain themselves.

"Lilli!" Sara hissed as she beaconed for her guardian to get into one of the rooms.

Lilli narrowed her eyes as she walked into the room. She heard the sound of running water. Rick sat in the bathroom with Carl and Sophia, filling up two water guns. He looked at her and smiled. "Time to get the winners," he whispered.

Sara snickered as she grabbed her water gun. Lilli grabbed one and walked to the front door. "I'll tell you when they come out."

Rick gave his son one of the last water guns and filled his up. The three children did their best to stifle their giggles.

"Tell me when they get out," Glenn whispered. It was Glenn's room that they were in. He had another water gun in hand and set down a bucket filled with water balloons.

Lilli nodded in agreement as she waited by the door. She casually leaned against the doorframe as if she was up to nothing.

"Victory!" Natalie shouted from the room.

"God dammit!" Shane said as he walked out of the room, shaking his head.

Lori laughed as she shook her head and joined Shane. He spotted Lilli and gave her his best smile. She didn't wait to give him a reason to suspect something was up. She jumped into the hallway and blasted him with water. Lori shrieked as she jumped behind Shane to get away from the water. Shane yelled in surprise as he put his hands in front of him, trying to stop the water from hitting him. Finally, she ran out of water.

Lilli laughed as he stared at her. "Now you done it," he snarled as he rushed at her. She screamed in surprise and ran toward the stairs.

Lori laughed as she shook her head, until Rick walked out. "Lori," Rick said with a simple nod of his head.

"Don't you dare!" she commanded, shaking her head and pointing at him.

Suddenly, Carl jumped out and shot his mother. The woman screamed in surprise as she ran away with the two hot on her heels. Glenn, Sara and Sophia ran out of their room and spotted Natalie who was trying to get away.

"Natalie!" Glenn cooed.

"No way!" the young woman shouted as she ran.

The three quickly followed after her and Glenn shot the water just as he turned the corner. "Oh shit," he whispered in surprise as she stopped. The two little girls didn't notice as they screamed in delight and fired.

Daryl stood soaking wet and stared at them. Lucy hid behind him and giggled. "You find this funny?" he asked her.

She nodded her head and screamed as he grabbed her. "Git' 'er," he commanded. The children were happy to oblige.

Lucy struggled and screamed as she tried to stop the water with her hands. Daryl laughed.

"An' where do ya think you're going?" he snapped at Glenn who tried to run after Natalie.

Glenn backed up unsure of how to react. "Ummm," he said. "After Natalie?"

Daryl shook his head as he started for the young man. Glenn didn't know what to do but look scared.

"Hey, Daryl," Lucy shouted. He turned and looked at him. She threw a water balloon that hit him on the chest.

"That," he said slowly. "Was a mistake."

Lucy didn't wait for him to start toward her as she ran.

Sara perked when she heard Lilli shriek.

"Let me go," Lilli giggled and commanded. Shane walked through the hall with her on his shoulder. He ignored her commands as he opened the doors to the pool. "No!" Lilli said then screamed as he threw her in.

"Hey!" Sara said as she fired the remaining contents of her water gun at Shane. He didn't give her time to run as he turned and grabbed her. She screamed in surprise as he threw her into the water.

"Shane," Lilli said in her most seductive voice as she neared the pool edge. She beaconed him to come closer with her finger.

He approached her but stopped just short of her being able to touch him. "Think I'd fall for that?" he teased.

She swam back and he teased her by moving forward. He gave her a half smile as he shook his head. "Mess with me and…" he yelled in surprise as someone pushed him from behind. When he surfaced he realized that Rick had been the one to push him.

Rick laughed then grabbed Lori as she tried to push him in. She screamed as he threw her in as well. Carl soon followed as he tried to push in his father. "I do believe I win this little battle," Rick stated as he placed his hands on his hips. He laughed before he jumped into the pool. Carl swam over to him and tried to dunk him in the water.

He easily grabbed his son and pushed him into the water instead.

"No. Hijo de puta. No me tires," Lucy shrieked as Daryl carried her toward the pool.

Daryl threw her in and she screamed.

"Now you know not to mess with Daryl Dixon," he said as soon as she surfaced.

"Someone's going to be sleeping alone tonight," she snapped.

He shrugged. "Ain't like I've never slept alone before."

Lucy stuck her tongue at him as the three grown women made their way out of the pool. Shane and Rick stayed behind to play with the three children.

"Almost seemed like a normal day," Lori commented as she sat down next to Lilli. "Thank you."

Lilli looked at her in surprise. "For what?" she asked.

"For being there when Shane and I told Rick about us," Lori responded. "We shouldn't be keepin' secrets from each other. Not in this world. We have enough trying to eat at us."

Lilli's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't say anything.

"Come back in," Rick shouted to his wife as he beaconed to her.

Lori shook her head. "No way," she responded.

"Lilli, help!" Sara shouted as she jumped on Shane's back.

A large smiled crossed Lilli's face as she got up and entered the pool again. Soon the five of the six ganged up on Shane, pushing him into the water. Pure laughter echoed through the room.

Lori leaned back in her chair and smiled. It was a perfect day.

* * *

><p><em>He had been to the house first. Her father, his best friend, had immediately called him up, begging him to check on Lilli. Apparently, she hadn't answered any of his calls and he was worried. When he had gotten there he was met with the bloody remains of a human male. The ID on him pegged him as Mark, Jessica's husband. It was a gruesome murder. Whoever killed him must have gotten caught by the girls. They didn't properly finish the job.<em>

_After a quick search of the house he saw no sign of either woman. He hoped that they were alright. He quickly got into his helicopter and took off. Both women were runners and he estimated that they would follow one path and go straight north. At least, he hoped that's what they would do. _

_His gamble had paid off and he spotted the two as they entered a clearing and headed toward the freeway. He didn't care that there were cars in the road and quickly landed his chopper. _

_Lilli and Jess looked at him with relief as he jumped out and ran to them. The cars on the freeway honked at him for blocking their path. He didn't give a damn._

_Jess's skin was grey, cold, and sweaty. It looked like Lilli was practically dragging her sister._

_"Jesus!" he shouted. _

_"We've been running for a while," Lilli said. _

_He nodded. "I'll get us to the nearest hospital," he yelled._

_"No!" Lilli said, shaking her head. "Take us to my dad."_

_He shook head. "I don't know where he is," he yelled as he helped put Jess in the back of the chopper. The hairs in the back of his neck stood up. There was something wrong with her._

_It wasn't long before he took off and started flying. "Take us to Frankfort," Lilli said in the headset._

_"Why?" he asked._

_"Father was near Frankfort," she replied. _

_"That's almost 800 miles away," he said in concern. "Your sister looks bad. I'm going to have to stop to refuel before…"_

_"Take us there, Michael!" Lilli commanded. She wrapped her arm around her sister and held her close. _

_Michael wanted to argue, but he couldn't. It took them a little over six hours to get to Frankfort, Kentucky. Michael got permission to land on the hospital roof and didn't hesitate. There was already a medical team waiting for them. _

_"My sister!" Lilli shouted as soon as the team opened the door. "Please, save her." They pulled her out then started to examine her sister. _

_Michael got out and Lilli ran into his arms, burying her head in his chest as she sobbed. "It'll be okay," he whispered. _

_A scream caught the two of them by surprise. The doctor fell back and landed on the ground. The skin on his lower jaw had been completely ripped off. Jess stood in the helicopter, chewing on his flesh._

_"What the fuck?" Michael shouted. _

_Jess jumped on a nurse. The woman screamed in surprise and pain as the flesh on her neck was torn off._

_"Hey!" A man shouted. _

_"No!" Lilli screamed as she put herself in-between her sister and the security guard._

_Jess seemed to hesitate as she tilted her head to one side. Then she screamed as she ran. A shot rang out and Lilli gasped in surprise. She collapsed onto the ground and so did Jess. The two had been shot. The bullet had gone in Lilli's shoulder and out into Jess's chest._

_"Fuck!" Michael yelled as he grabbed Lilli. "We need help now!"_

The memory had come unbidden to Michael's recollection. He couldn't help but wonder. If he hadn't been called to check on Lilli, would he have been able to save his family? Or maybe if he had dropped the two in the nearest hospital. Then again, if he had done that he still would have stayed with Lilli. His conversation with Alex, Lilli's father, had been cut short that day. And he hadn't been able to call his best friend back.

Michael snorted. Some best friend Alex turned out to be. Michael was there for Alex's kids and yet Alex wasn't there for Michael's. He knew it was wrong, taking out his anger and frustration on Lilli. All she had done was try to keep her family alive.

At least she still had family alive. _Little Sara,_ Michael thought as he shook his head. He still didn't understand why Lilli insisted that no one know about her relationship with the little girl. Maybe it was because she was afraid of what would happen when everyone found out that _she_ helped spread the plague. Lilli had known that something was wrong with her sister, and instead of trying to contain her sister she took her out into the world.

Michael shook his head. The cool night breeze brought a slight chill to his body. He had found an abandoned hunting tree fort. He was going to stay in his car, but he decided that it would be safer to be up higher. Geeks didn't look up, unless their head was angled that way, or if they had seen him.

Either way, he felt safer up here. He had lied to everyone. He wasn't going to go to South Carolina. He wasn't exactly sure why he lied. Maybe it was because he didn't want people to argue or try to convince him to stay. Or maybe it was because he didn't want to see the worry in Lilli's face. He couldn't completely hate her. He had been basically an uncle to her, and if he were in her shoes he would have done the same. It was just easier to blame her. She looked so much like her father.

Michael let out a sigh. His goal was to return home. He was quite sure that his entire family was dead or undead. There was no point in thinking that they were alive. His wife didn't watch TV and would have waited for him to return home. And his two little girls wouldn't have left their mother. No, they were probably already undead and wandering inside of their home.

Michael sighed as he rolled onto his side. He would end his life in his home, whether his family was there or not. If they weren't, then he would be able to hope that they were alive. But at the same time, he had given up on life. He just wanted to be on familiar grounds when he finally took his own life.

A chill ran through his spine. He felt as if something or someone was watching him. Cautiously, Michael looked out and around him. It was dark and nearly impossible to clearly see anything. Then he spotted something. It was hard not to see her. Her long blonde hair and white dress seemed to make her a beacon in the darkness. She stood a little ways away and was looking up. From the distance, he couldn't see her face. But she was looking up at him.

"Hey!" he shouted down at her. "Get up here. Fucking geeks can get you retard!"

The woman swayed then started walking away.

"Shit," he said to himself as he scurried his way down the tree. He didn't know what had possessed him to make sure that the woman was safe. Maybe it was because there were so few survivors around and especially women. He would take her back to Rick and their group if needed.

"Wait!" he shouted as he ran in the direction that the woman had walked. It didn't take him that long to find her. She stood with her back to him and seemed to stare out into space. "Hey," he said softly as he reached his hand out to her.

She turned faster than he expected.

Immediately, he paled. "Impossible," he whispered in surprise.

She grabbed him and bit his neck, tearing the skin. He screamed in pain and pushed her away. She stumbled and fell back onto the ground. He quickly turned and ran away from her; his hand pressed against his bleeding neck.

It all came together and he finally understood. He understood everything.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took forever for me to update. I couldn't figure out what to write after the water fight. That and I spent my free time this past week playing Skyrim. Anyway, got that game out of my system now, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I decided to still make it a little light for Lilli. Next three or four chapters are going to be much more tense for her and Shane. Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favs. I promise the next update will be sooner rather than later.**

**liz-04 – I still like him this season. I'm trying to figure out why and it's hard to explain. He has so many emotions bubbling inside of him. I love how he keeps me guessing. I don't know what he's going to do next. You know, he risked his life to save Carl, but then maimed Otis so he could get away from the zombies. I think he just needs a little cuddling.**

**shippolove844 – I get all embarrassed when I put real pictures of actors on my desktop. People tend to use my computer and laptop and I don't know why, but it embarrasses me. Like, I don't mind saying that I like certain actors but for some reason it freaks me out when I have pictures of them on my computer. **

**Padme4000 – Hope this chapter made you laugh too, at least the beginning. I do my best to make sure that the chapters I post are well written. I spend hours contemplating what's going to happen to the characters and surfing the web making sure that what I have them do isn't too far-fetched.**


	10. Lilli Snaps

Shane sat on the couch and read one of the survival guides that they had found. It had been two days since their water fight. Lilli rested her back against his side as she stretched her body across the couch, completely filling it up.

They were in the lounge which had changed since Shane had first gotten to the inn. In the four and a half weeks they had changed the front and dining room, taking out the windows and putting in drywall instead. The two glass front doors had been replaced by wooden double doors. It gave everyone a better sense of security that there was more than glass protecting them from being seen by the undead.

Lilli was pretending to read and he knew it. She hadn't moved any of the pages since she sat down next to him.

Shane moved and caught her as she fell back. She let out a shriek in surprise and looked up at him. "What's wrong?" he asked

"Why is something wrong?" she asked him.

"You've been stuck on the same page for an hour," he replied.

Lilli sighed and pushed herself up. "It's nothing," she told him.

He forced her to look at him. "I've been completely honest with you," he told her. It was true. He had first told her about his relationship with Lori. And then she was present when he and Lori told Rick. She was there for moral support which he needed. He hated himself for the hurt that was on his friend's face, but at the same time both he and Lori thought Rick was dead.

Lilli let out another sigh then smiled at him. "Okay," she said as she sat up. "I was just thinking. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, I guess it used to be a big deal, but now…" She paused. "We are safe but at the same time."

"You're rambling," Shane said softly.

Lilli chuckled. "Yeah. Okay so today… Sara," she said as she spotted the little girl behind Shane.

"Lilli?" Sara shyly asked as she made her way over to them.

Lilli smiled and placed her feet on the ground. "Aren't you supposed to be studying?" she teased.

Sara nodded her head. "I decided not to today," she stated.

Shane laughed, shaking his head. "Hard to skip school when there is nowhere else to go," he said.

Lilli jabbed his side, but laughed with him. "You don't have to study today if you don't want to," Lilli said.

"Like hell she doesn't," Georgia's voice caught them all off guard. The older woman stood at the end of the lounge where the two hallways were at. She had her hands on her hips and looked furious.

Sara rushed over to Lilli as the young woman stood up. Shane quickly stood up as well. He didn't know why Georgia was pissed, but he was going to make sure that things didn't get out of hand.

"Georgia," he started then stopped when the woman glared at him.

"If she doesn't want to study today then she's not going to," Lilli stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you purposefully trying to make her stupid?" the older woman snapped back.

"I don't need to learn about no dumb Johnny Appleseed," Sara quipped.

Lilli gave her a quick glance before crossing her arms and widening her stance. It was clear that she wasn't going to let Georgia get her way. "She doesn't want to learn today," Lilli stated.

"You are teaching her bad manners!" Georgia snarled. "That little girl needs to learn respect. She openly defied my authority in class, interrupting what I'm trying to teach. The children need to learn about our history. Someday this…" she waved her hands over her head. "Mess will be all gone. And…"

"Don't be stupid," Lilli interrupted. "Just because she chooses one day to not learn won't make her a dummy. You're not her mother or her boss."

"And who are you?" Georgia challenged. "You just found her and are taking care of her. You don't really care about her. She's only a convenience for you. If you really cared for her then you would stay here and be safe. Not hare off on dangerous adventures and nearly get yourself killed. Who will take care of her when you die? Me!"

"Calm down," Shane said as he went in-between the two women. "I think we should take this…"

Sara shook her head. "She ain't gonna die. And my daddy will be here soon to take care of me," she snapped. "He will find me. Lilli has been leaving messages for him to find us. Haven't you?" She looked up at Lilli who looked down at her.

"Of course I have," Lilli said.

Georgia snorted. "He won't come," she said.

"He will!" Sara said stubbornly. "My daddy always keeps his promises. He promised that he would find me. And Lilli promised to leave him signs. He may be slow but he will come."

Georgia's eyes narrowed. "He won't come!" she said firmly.

"You know nothing," Lilli said as she turned her back on the woman and ushered Sara toward the dining room. It was clear that she was done with the conversation.

"He won't come because he is dead!" Georgia's voice seemed to echo through the entire inn.

Rick and Lori had just stepped out of the dining room and looked at Georgia in surprise. Lilli stopped mid-step then slowly turned and looked at the woman.

"What did you say?" she asked in a deadly voice.

"You're keeping this child's hope up for seeing her father. When you and I both know that he was infect." Georgia looked triumphant in her statement. "I followed you into that building. I hid and watched as you took the little girl out. I thought something was wrong with you. You were so worried before then and suddenly you were happy. You and Sara were practically skipping down the street. I went into the room he was in. I saw him lying there. I saw the wound on his forearm. I knew he had been bit. He saw me. I shot him before he could say anything. Even if I hadn't shot him in the head he would have been undead. I'm sorry Sara, but he would never have come back for you."

No one moved even when she finished talking. Shane couldn't help but stare at her in surprise. Without warning Lilli shrieked and flew at Georgia. Shane couldn't stop her as she slammed Georgia into the wall and punched her.

"Murderer!" Lilli screamed as she punched her again.

Georgia screamed in pain and tried to fight back but she couldn't.

Shane grabbed Lilli, but her strength was incredible. The rush of adrenaline made her stronger than he had expected. Rick ran to help him and then Daryl. The three men were having a hard time keeping Lilli off of Georgia.

"You fucking idiot!" Lilli shrieked as she pulled, slashed and kicked at the air.

Shane couldn't believe her strength. He didn't want to hurt her, but he was afraid someone would break her arm or arms. She was fighting so hard against them. But it was clear that she was ready to murder Georgia with her bare hands. They couldn't afford to let her go.

Lori ran over to Georgia as did Lucy.

"You don't know what you did!" Lilli shrieked. She pushed herself back and the men released her. The three men stood between the two women and watched Lilli. She started to pace as she put one hand through her hair. She mumbled words to herself, shaking her head.

"I want her arrested!" Georgia yelled. Her nose had been broken, and her face was already swelling up. It was clear that her face was going to be a swollen black and blue mess for a long while.

"And detained where?" Shane snapped. "From where I'm standing you deserve it."

"Shane!" Rick hissed.

"He was still alive!" Lilli hissed. "He may have been bit and it may have turned him, but when you shot him he was still alive. He didn't get to ask you to. You just did it because."

Georgia allowed Lucy to help her stand. "I saved who knows how many people from him," she spat back.

The front door was thrown open. "Sara!" Lilli called out as the little girl ran outside. Lilli quickly followed after her with the three men hot on her heels. Lilli grabbed the girl and collapsed into the middle of the parking lot.

"Let me go!" Sara screamed as she struggled.

Lilli wrapped her arms around the girl's body and forced her to the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"He promised," Sara shouted. "He promised he would come. It's not fair. It's his birthday today!" She buried her head in Lilli's chest and broke down.

Lilli held her and ran her fingers through the little girl's hair. Shane didn't bother looking at the other men as he walked over to the two and sat down next to them. He didn't say a word and neither spoke or looked at him.

Rick and Daryl quietly went back into the inn.

Shane's eyes narrowed when he spotted her knuckles. They were bloody from the pounding she gave Georgia and there were scratches on her neck and face. "I'll be right back," he whispered as he went back inside to get the first aid kit.

"We can't have that happening again." Shane heard Lori saying as soon as he entered. Everyone but Georgia and Lucy huddled in the lobby.

"What are we going to do, Lori?" Shane snapped. "Arrest her and put her in jail? Isolate her from everyone else? Fuck, what if we have to leave in a hurry?"

"Old bitch deserved it," Daryl stated as he shrugged. "She ain't dead. She'll live and it ain't like she's an important member of our group. She does nothin' for us."

"Christ," Rick said, shaking his head. "We can't look at people that way. We can't look at people like they're objects. We're all a family here. I understand that that's never happened with her before. But…"

"That aggression caught us all off-guard," Lori said. "What if she snapped on one of the kids?"

Shane glared at the two. "It's been a month since we've been with the four. She's done everything she could to be of use to us. And now you're questionin' her?" He shook with anger. "Yeah, she lost her temper. That old bitch just told a little girl that _she _killed her father. Don't know if you notice, but the two are extremely close. Yeah, Lilli doesn't act like a conventional mother, but that don't mean that she don't care. She loves that little girl as if she were family."

Rick nodded. "But she nearly murdered a woman."

"A woman who didn't know her place. What if that had been one of you?" Shane hissed. "What if she had told you, Lori, or you, Rick, in front of Carl that she killed one of you? Even if you were bitten, and kept that a secret all this time."

Lori shook her head. "I would never have lied and said that he would be coming back," she pointed out. "If Rick had been bitten I wouldn't have allowed Carl to carry the false hope that he was still alive. When I thought Rick was dead I told Carl that he was."

Shane looked at everyone. He realized that no one was on Lilli's side. He didn't bother replying as he turned and walked back outside.

The two had moved from sitting in the middle of the parking lot to leaning against the RV. Sara was on the ground and hugged Lilli fiercely. He went into the RV and got the spare first aid kit before sitting down next to her. Gently, he took her free hand and started to clean it.

"I would have killed her," Lilli finally said.

"Old bitch deserved it," Shane replied, not looking at her.

She shook her head.

"But she does!" Sara mumbled.

Lilli shook her head again. "What's going to happen, Shane?" she asked.

"They can't do anything to you," Sara said firmly. "If you leave then so do I."

Shane looked at Lilli then shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered. He was afraid. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Whatever happened next nothing would be the same. If she left then he would leave with her. But if she stayed there was no telling how the others would act around her. "Whatever happens," he finally said. "I will be by your side."

Lilli squeezed his hand, but didn't look at him. She kept a frown on her face as she thought.

* * *

><p>Alexander sat at his desk and stared at the picture of his family. He was an older man in his sixties. His hair was brown and peppered with grey strands of hair. From everything that had happened it was a wonder that his hair wasn't completely grey. Numbly he picked up the picture frame and drew it closer to him.<p>

Three children stood around him; a girl to his right and a boy and a girl to his left. The girl to his right wore a wedding dress. There was a true smile coming from all their faces. The girls had been so happy when their brother showed up for the wedding. It was the last photo that Alex had been able to have taken of the four of them together.

Alex shook his head. He couldn't believe that in the five years after the picture had been taken there was nothing new of the four of them together. It was always someone who wasn't able to make it to the special occasions.

He sighed as the clock struck six. He opened one of his desk drawers and produced a single box.

"I know it's a bit late," he said to the picture as he set down the wrapped box. "But I had a busy day today. So…" A sharp knock distracted him. He glared at the person who rudely entered the room. "Dr. Conner," he said, recognizing one of the members of his team.

The woman was younger than him by ten years, but she looked to be about his age because of the stress. Her eyes were wide with horror as she tentatively walked toward him. In her hands was a folder.

His eyes narrowed as she gave it to him.

"The results from Dr. Moreson's daughter," she whispered. "We found out who bite her."

They had found the little undead girl only two days before. It had been a month since Dr. Moreson had gone missing as well as them losing communication with Fort Benning. But during that time Alex and his group had been dealing with a completely different matter. Finally, he had been able to send a group out to see what had happened to Dr. Moreson as well as Fort Benning.

Of course, he was realistic in his views of hearing any good news. They had found the little undead girl in the crashed chopper. She was partly burnt, and her lower jaw and upper teeth had been taken out by the soldiers. It prevented her from biting them. Luck was on his side that her bite wound that turned her wasn't harmed. She was different from the other walkers, not only because of her orange eyes.

The soldiers had reported that she made it very difficult for them to take off her jaw and teeth. There was almost intelligence, but the sight of uncovered skin had been her undoing. Now she was in the hands of one of Alex's top scientists. The virus that coursed through her body was not pure, but it was the closest that they had. He knew that they wouldn't get a cure from her, but he couldn't help but be there as they examined her.

Alex grabbed the folder from Dr. Conner's hand and opened it. "Impossible," he whispered as he collapsed onto his chair.

"I'm afraid it's true," she responded. "We ran the test three times."

Alex rubbed his face before he looked back at the paper. "Get out," he said in a soft but deadly voice.

"It's possible that she's in Atlanta still. We need to send a team out there too…"

"I said get the fuck out!" Alex yelled as he slammed his fists on his desk.

She back up in surprise then hesitated before she left.

Alex fell back on his chair. His eyes no longer registered the paper as tears ran down his cheek. He had been so sure so sure that his children were all safe, and that they weren't part of the undead. He had prepared them for a world like this. His hand reached out and he touched the woman in the wedding dress.

"My Jessi," he whispered as he choked on his emotions. "My poor little Jessica."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, so this chapter was a bit intense to write, but that scene was always in mind. In fact, major scenes in the next three chapters were all creature before the first chapter. And the new draft that I was going to post somehow got overwritten by the old draft. So I had to rewrite a lot of this *sigh*. Hope you continue to enjoy. Thanks for reviews/favs/alerts.**

**Shippolove844 - I haven't really liked any of the ladies in the show. At first I didn't really like Lori, but she's sort of redeemed herself the last episode. Never really cared for Andrea. I do like Maggie though. I like that she's pretty outspoken and especially when she told Lori off.**


	11. No Longer Safe

Shane stared at Lilli from the other side of the table. She looked exhausted. At one point, during the night, he had fallen asleep with his head on the table. If she had fallen asleep he didn't know. But it looked as if she hadn't. She stretched her body across the seat and just stared at the door.

The two had gotten into a little argument the night before. Lilli wanted Shane and Sara to sleep inside of the inn, but both refused her request. She wasn't very happy that they chose to stay out with her. It was clear that she was trying to find a way to punish herself. Shane didn't give a damn about Georgia or her feelings.

He had come to the decision last night. He would follow whatever Lilli decided to do. If the group kicked her out then he would go with her and take what belonged to him. Shane knew Rick enough to know that he wouldn't stop Shane. But at the same time, he knew that Rick would try what he could to not have the group split up.

"Would you stay if Rick asked you to?" Shane asked, breaking the silence.

Lilli frowned as she slowly looked at him. She opened her mouth to answer then closed it. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

"If you did would you try to hurt Georgia again?" he couldn't help but ask.

Lilli shook her head. "I hate that woman," she said as she clenched her fists. "I will not save her from any walker attack. But I won't kill her. My hands hurt too much."

Shane snorted. It wasn't a very good joke, but it was clear that she was trying to lighten the mood a little. "Let's get away from here, then," Shane almost pleaded.

"We can't run away, Shane," she said, finally looking into his eyes. "If they don't want me around then I'll go. But I can't run away. My group has never run into other survivors who had kids with them. I can't leave Sara, but it would be unfair to force her to leave."

"Why don't we go to that place in South Carolina?" Sara's voice caused Lilli to jump in surprise. Lilli gulped as she sat up straight and Sara sat next to her. "Didn't they say that they had a cure? Why not go there?"

"Because they're liars," Lilli said softly.

"You don't know that," Sara said. "It could be real! And grandpa could be there."

Lilli gave her a quick glance then let out a small smile. "You must be hungry," she said. She looked at Shane expectantly and he let out a sigh.

"Let's go get something to eat, Sara," he said as he stood up and stretched.

"Are you coming too?" Sara asked her guardian.

The young woman shook her head. "I want to stay and think for a while," she said then winked. "I'll be there later. Okay?"

Sara crinkled her nose, but then nodded in agreement. Shane felt like objecting, but realized that it was going to be futile. He let out a sigh as he shook his head. He didn't want to get into another argument with Lilli. "Let's go," he said to Sara as they left the RV.

Lilli sat in the RV and thought. Part of her wanted to run away. It would be easier for her to just leave without anyone noticing. She had survival skills and she could probably find another group of survivors with little problem. But then that meant leaving Sara and Shane alone. Shane would be furious. He would hate her forever. And Sara? The little girl would have trust issues. She would probably never be able to trust anyone again. And why would she? Lilli, her last known living blood relative, left her when she needed her the most.

No, Lilli couldn't do that to them. She had to face whatever came. After all, she had faced everything else head on.

"I will tell them everything," she said out loud. That confirmation surprised her. Yes, they needed to know. They needed to know the truth about her. They needed to know that Sara was her niece. They needed to know that she helped spread this infection. She was tired of secrets. She didn't even know why she kept them anymore.

If her brother and her hadn't been afraid, and if they had told everyone… She stopped thinking and shook her head. She could say "if" all she wanted, but in the end she couldn't go back in time. The only thing she could do was tell them the truth.

A quick knock on the door brought Lilli back to the present. "Shane!" she said, assuming that it was him. "I really don't…" she swung the door open and stopped midsentence. Her eyes grew wide with horror as she shook her head. "Oh no," she whispered.

He stopped her from closing the door and punched her. She fell back and slammed her head against one of the steps. That action caused her to lose consciousness.

* * *

><p>Shane, Dale, Rick, Lori and Georgia sat in the meeting room. They had gotten together to discuss Lilli. It wasn't going to be an official decision. Rick was firm that he wanted everyone to be present in the final decision, including Lilli. But they were together to talk.<p>

They had decided not to have Sara relive the events of the previous night so Lucy was taking care of her. Shane had to be in this small meeting, since Georgia was there. He couldn't let her get away with any lies if she tried. Neither girl was there to contradict her story, but he had been present during the whole exchange. Dale was a smart and wise man. Rick relied on his advice. He hadn't been present at the attack so he wanted to hear from each side what they had to say.

Shane had asked for Lilli to be present, but Dale didn't think that would be wise. He wanted to hear each of their stories without interruption. After they talked with Georgia the three would go out to talk with Lilli.

"She tried to kill me," Georgia jumped in, not even bothering to start from the beginning. Her face was swollen from the beating she received. They had been unable do much to get the swelling down. There was no ice or coldcuts available to put on her face. And since it wasn't life threatening Lucy decided not to give her any major medicine. They did what they could to ease the swelling, but it wasn't much.

"Why don't we start from the beginning?" Dale asked.

Georgia winced in pain when she tried to speak again. Dale reached out for her hand but she slapped him away.

"Georgia told Sara that she killed her father," Shane finally said.

"I'm sure that it wasn't exactly like that," Dale said, shaking his head. "Let her speak, Shane."

"It was," Rick replied with a sigh.

Dale looked at Georgia in surprise and the older woman looked away. It was quite clear that she was still angry, but she couldn't show much emotion on her face.

"That woman was lying to the little girl. She kept the girl's hopes up for months. The little girl thought that her father was coming for her," Georgia's words were very monotone since she could barely move her mouth.

"So you told a little girl that you killed her father?" Dale asked in surprise.

Georgia looked away. "I was angry."

"But to tell a little girl." Dale was horrified by her admittance.

Rick nodded his head. "What are we going to do?" he asked.

"We aren't going to force her away from the group!" Shane snapped. "We need her and yes, she did snap, but for good reason."

"She could have killed me!" Georgia stated.

Shane glared at her. "And she's done more for our group than you have."

"Shane!" Rick snapped.

Georgia stood up. "She doesn't deserve to be with us," she hissed.

"And why not?" Shane asked with venom in his voice.

"What more reason than she tried to kill me," Georgia said. "No matter what I said, they were only words. What if a child got her angry?"

Lori nodded her head.

"It doesn't make sense," Dale said, shaking his head. "We've been able to enjoy our time here. Nothing major has happened to any of us. We have food, water, beds, clothing. I haven't felt more than the usual tension from anyone. Sure there have been fights between people, but nothing like this. I can't think of any reason why anyone snap like that."

"He wasn't just my father," Sara said. Everyone turned and looked at the little girl. They hadn't realized that she was in the room.

"Honey, this matter…" Lori started to say but Sara interrupted her.

"It does concern me!" Sara snapped. She glared at Georgia. "He was immuned," she said. "He had been bit before, when we were in California. I don't care to keep the secret anymore." She seemed to be intoxicated with her words as she yelled them. Everyone stared at her in surprise. "He just went a little crazy the first time. But two days later he was fine. He stopped trying to eat me and looked normal. He was on his way here, because my grandpa is a great scientist. My father knew where my grandpa was. He would have taken us to the real haven. You have no idea what you did. If you force her to leave then I'm going with her. If grandfather is alive and we find him then we'll make sure that you never get allowed to stay where he is at!" Sara turned and ran out of the room before any of them could say anything.

Rick looked at Shane and realized that his friend was just as surprised about Sara's revelation as was everyone else.

"I must apologize," Georgia said as she stood up and walked out of the room.

The sound of a little girl's scream caused everyone to run into the lobby. Sara was fighting against the door as something roughly pushed it open. She flew across the room and landed in a little heap on the floor.

Michael stood at the entrance.

"Michael!" Georgia snapped as she started toward him. "Jackass."

He looked up and everyone stopped moving. There was no doubt that he wasn't alive anymore. There was a bite wound on his neck that had dry blood on it. His skin was leathery and his eyes were abnormally orange. His lips were permanently curled back, revealing a large row of teeth.

"Shit," Shane hissed as he looked around for a weapon. Why didn't they have any lying around? He spotted a bat and grabbed it. He let out a scream as he swung the bat at Michael.

The elderly, undead man, moved at the last second. The pure force that Shane used would have obliterated Michael's skull as well as the bat. Instead, it smashed into Michael's right arm. They could hear the crunch as the bones shattered into thousands of pieces. Then Michael did something that no walker ever did. With his good hand he grabbed the bat and pulled it out of Shane's grasp.

Shane had been surprised by the move and stared at Michael.

"Impossible," Rick whispered.

Michael's impossible bright orange eyes wandered between everyone then he let out a raspy laugh. At least, that's what Rick thought it almost resembled. He swung the bat with his good arm then took a step further into the inn. Everyone shrank back. This thing was like no walker they had ever seen. It scared them. It was smart.

Suddenly, it lunged at Sara and grabbed her foot, pulling her along the ground. The little girl screamed as she struggled.

"Sara!" Lilli yelled as she ran into the inn.

"No!" Shane yelled as he reached his hand out as if it would prevent her from moving further in.

Michael swung the bat and Lilli collapsed onto her knees as she bent back. The weapon barely missed her. She struggled to her feet as Michael's good arm let Sara go and grabbed Lilli by the hair. He thrusted her forward and grabbed Sara as the little girl ran. Then he put his back against the wall and held Sara up so that her body protected his.

"What the fuck?" Daryl yelled as he ran into view, with crossbow ready to fire.

"Don't hurt her!" Lilli shrieked as she spat out blood.

Michael hid his face behind Sara whose eyes widened with fear. There was no way Daryl could kill him.

"Daryl, lower the bow!" Lilli commanded.

"Fuck no," Daryl snapped back.

"Do it," Lilli stated firmly.

Daryl hesitated, but then slowly lowered his crossbow.

She breathed heavily as Michael peaked his head out. Sara was sobbing as she shook. "Put her down. You're not one of them. You don't have to do this," she commanded. She held up her right hand, trying to appease him.

"Michael," Rick said slowly as if he were talking to a mere human. "Put her down. I know you're in there." He tried to sound calm and gave Lilli a quick glance before looking back at Michael.

Michael stared at Lilli who tensed. With his bad hand he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. The fact that he could do that without even the hint of pain was off-putting. Finally, he revealed a locket. He held it in front of him.

"Oh shit," Lilli whispered when she spotted the locket.

He snarled and Sara whimpered. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and bit.

Rick wasn't sure who was screaming. Lilli's arm was in Michael's mouth. Somehow, she had moved fast enough and placed her arm in his mouth. She forced Sara out of his grasp as he bit hard, causing her to scream in pain. He let her go then moved as a bolt slammed into his neck. Lilli held her arm as she took a step back.

Michael ran out of the inn. Daryl would have followed, but he knew better. This thing had dodged his attacks and held a little girl hostage. Its arm was broken and yet it seemed to have thoughts. He didn't know what he was up against and he wasn't going to risk fighting the thing alone.

"Lilli, shit," Shane yelled as he rushed over to his girlfriend. Her arm was bleeding from the bite mark. "Why did you do that?" He yelled as he reached for her. Then, he seemed to remember that she was bit and quickly retracted his arms.

Lucy rushed over and grabbed Lilli's arm. "What am I supposed to do, Lils?" she asked. "What am I supposed to do?" It was clear that Lucy didn't care.

Lilli stared at her arm. The flesh had been torn into, but not torn off. Blood pooled out of the bite wound and it would leave a bite size scar. But Michael's intent wasn't to rip her flesh off. It was to infect her.

"No!" Sara screamed as she rushed over to Lilli and hugged her. "You can't die on me!" she shouted as she pulled back and slapped the woman. "You promised daddy that you would take care of me. I lost too much. Please, don't die on me, aunt Lilli!" She sobbed as she buried her head in Lilli's chest.

Hesitantly, Lilli lifted her non-bitten arm and hugged Sara. "I'll be alright," she whispered. "I'll be fine," she said in a calm voice.

"South Carolina," Georgia said.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"That group. They said that they have a cure. We should all go. Michael…" she paused and shook her head. "Whatever that thing was he was different from the others. He came here and knew that we were dangerous. We're not safe here anymore. If he could think to keep himself alive from Daryl, then he can think of a way to get inside. Maybe even bring some of his friends along. We can't stay. I can't stay."

"We should leave today," Lori said with fear.

Rick looked at everyone then over at Lilli. Lucy was escorting her to the infirmary.

"Yeah," Rick said, nodding his head. "We need to leave."

* * *

><p>Rick, Shane, Dale and Daryl waited for Lucy to finish bandaging Lilli before they closed the door behind the nurse. Initially, Rick wanted to be alone with Lilli, but Daryl refused to let him. Michael wasn't a normal walker and Daryl wasn't going to take any chances with Lilli. No one knew if she would turn faster or slower than the others.<p>

Although Shane trusted Rick to keep Lilli safe he didn't trust Daryl. As for Dale, he said he had to be there. He had had enough of sitting on the sidelines.

Lilli picked at her bandage and didn't look at them. "I don't know if I'm immune," she said before anyone could say anything. "I know she told you. About Gabby, her father, my brother."

"What do you know?" Rick asked.

"Gabby was bit by a walker. A normal walker," she replied. "Twice. The first time his body fought off the virus and he returned to normal after a couple of days. The second time he was killed before his body could fight it. He would have been fine. If I am like my brother then I'm immune to the normal walkers. Not the others…" she paused as she looked at them. "But Georgia is right. We're not safe here anymore."

"How do you know you're not immune to them all?" Shane asked as he crossed his arms. He couldn't help but hope. What made her think she was only immune to one type?

Lilli bit her lip then nodded her head. "I was going to tell you today," she said. "I just… didn't think it would be like this." She stopped talking and took in a deep breath. "My sister was one of the first victims," she said after she let her breath go.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. She sounded so sure.

"We were attacked," she continued, not allowing anyone to interrupt her. "My sister came home and surprised me. She could have called." She shook her head at the memory. "But she wanted to see my face when she told me that she was pregnant. And then she… the thing attacked. She killed Jess's husband then chased after us. It had bit her before we got out of the house." Tears ran down her cheeks as her voice cracked. "I knew something was wrong. But I didn't care."

"Michael found us. I forced him to fly to Frankfort where my father was, at the time. My father is a scientist and he knew the best doctors. I was hoping that we would be able to contact him before my sister got worse. But she died when we passed over the city."

Lilli paused and took a few deep breaths. "We landed at the hospital, and she woke up. She went crazy and started biting people. I got in the way of a bullet which is when I got shot in the shoulder. They hit her heart. But of course, she got up and started attacking."

"Fuck. So you helped spread this fucking mess?" Daryl snarled.

Lilli looked at him then nodded.

"No!" Dale said shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. How were you to know that this would be the result? You were looking out for your family."

"So what?" Shane asked. "You could still be immune to this thing? Your sister wasn't but your brother was."

Lilli sighed. "Maybe," she finally said, but it was clear that she wasn't convinced.

"He was hell bent on punishing you," Rick said, speaking about Michael. "Why?"

Lilli looked down. "I'm sure he blames my father because my father asked him to check on me. They had been best friends since they were children. If Michael hadn't checked on me and if there was a plague then he would have been with his family now, dead or alive. Michael can't forgive my father for pulling him away. Since my father isn't here then he focused on me."

"What about the locket?" Daryl asked.

"What?" Lilli was surprised by his question.

"That the old man held up. You were surprised and not happy to see it. What does it mean?" he snarled.

"It belonged to his wife," she said. "He must have found her body and it drove him to this."

Shane's eyebrows rose with surprise. It was a bold-face lie. He didn't know how or why he knew, but he knew that she was lying about that.

"We should get ready to go. The gate was still closed when I left the RV which means that he climbed over a car," she said, changing the subject. "I'll answer any more questions when we're safe."

"Christ," Rick said, shaking his head. "Shane," he motioned for his long-time friend.

Shane gave Lilli one last glance before he walked out with Rick. The two had to make sure that they got the most important items with them before they left.

Dale gave Lilli a weak smile. "At least," he said. "There's a possibility that you're immune. If not, we're going to a place where they claim they have a cure."

Lilli gave him a weak smile in return and nodded her head. "Dale, I need to speak to Daryl alone please," she whispered.

He opened his mouth to protest then nodded as he left. He knew why she wanted to be alone with Daryl.

"I don't want you to wait a few days to see if I get better," she said without missing a beat.

Daryl nodded his head.

"I know Shane will hate you. And he won't listen if I tell him it's for the best. My brother may have been able to shake off the virus, but I don't know if I can. And I'm not sure how… 'smart' I'll be when it happens. I'll want to eat people. Even my brother wanted to eat people when his body fought the infection. But, please. I want you to kill me when the time comes."

Daryl's eyes narrowed as he thought. "Fine," he simply said.

"Thank you," she said softly. There was an awkward silence between the two as they walked out of the room.

Lilli clenched her good hand. Daryl was a good man. As much as Shane didn't like him, they both knew that the minute Daryl killed her then Shane would loath him with a passion. But, it was a burden that Daryl was willing to bear.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the wait. Had trouble with this chapter. Hope you continue to enjoy. Will she be cured on time? Will Daryl have to kill her? Who knows (okay, I do). I will tease that Eve and Jess will make an appearance in the next chapter. And someone is going to die for good.**

**Shippolove844 – Andrea is really getting on my nerves. I really hope the second half of the season makes her better. And Rick needs better characterization as well.**

**Hiei's Ice Queen – Glad you enjoyed my story so far. We'll have to see what happens with Lilli now that she's bit.**


	12. Family Reunion

Fire coursed through Lilli's veins as the virus attacked her cells. She shuddered and bit her lip to keep from crying out. She was in the RV that slowly made its way through the freeway. She lay on the bed in the back. They were at least halfway through their journey by now.

It took them three hours to get everything ready and leave the inn that they were at. They had to pack all of their food and items. Shane, Sara, Dale, Rick, Lori, and Carl rode in the RV as well as Lilli. Carl begged his mother to allow him in the RV to keep Sara company. No one knew how long it would take them to get to their destination. Normally, it was roughly six hours, but now there were random road blocks to look out for.

They had barely got on the road before Lilli started to feel ill. She had moved to the back, laid on the bed, and turned her back to them. She couldn't stop her body from shaking, but she could bit on the pillow to muffle her voice.

"Go fish!" Shane said as Sara let out an exasperated sigh.

"Hey," Dale whispered, causing Lilli to turn and look at him. "You're not looking so good."

She snorted at his statement. "Very observant of you," she said.

"The kids shouldn't be here," he said after a brief moment of silence. Lilli looked at him then nodded her head.

"I didn't think it would be so fast," she finally admitted. "Normally, it takes a few days. But it's only been a few hours. Next time we stop I'll convince Sara to get out," Lilli said. A wave of nausea ran up her stomach and she quickly placed her hand over her mouth. Dale helped her up and she barely made it on time to the bathroom.

She puked into the toilet and groaned. A hand gently rubbed her back as her body shuddered.

"It'll be okay." She heard Shane say softly as he gently rubbed her.

Slowly, she reached her right hand out and touched his leg. He used his other free hand to grab hers and squeeze. A water bottle was placed in her hand and she gratefully took a sip and rinsed her mouth. She spit out the water and flushed the toilet.

Shane didn't say a word as he picked her up.

"Odd," she whispered as he gently lay her on the bed.

"What?" he asked her as he looked down at her.

"I'm feeling better," she said. "I mean. You know when you're sick and you puke your guts out. Then you feel like you'll finally get better?"

Shane nodded his head.

"That's how I feel," she murmured as she closed her eyes. She let out a yawn as she stretched her limbs. "Think I'll take a nap."

Shane stood up and turned then glared at Dale who watched.

"Someone has to watch her," the old man pointed out.

Sara looked in concern at her guardian.

"Do you have a red Jack?" Carl said, trying to distract his friend. The little girl hesitated as she looked at her hand then nodded.

The RV slowed then stopped, making everyone get up and look outside. There was a traffic jam ahead.

"Great!" Shane snarled as soon as he got out of the RV and surveyed what was in front of them. It was clear that Lilli didn't have much time.

"We'll make it!" Rick firmly said to his friend. "Let's clear the road."

Lori stood next to her son and Sara. Shane turned and roughly grabbed Dale's arm.

"Don't you dare kill her," he snarled at the old man.

Dale pulled away from Shane, but nodded his head.

"Let's see if we can find anything of use, kids," Lori said as she directed the two children behind the RV. Sophie joined Carl and Sara as Carol placed herself next to Lori.

"How is she?" the other mother asked.

Lori shook her head. "I don't think she'll last much longer," Lori admitted. "Rick wants to rearrange some of the seats. Have Glenn and Natalie in the RV and put the kids and I in the van with you, Sophie, and T-Dog.

Carol nodded her head as she watched the children. She felt sorry for all the children. While they were in the inn, the children had been able to be children again. But now they were out in the world and it clearly showed in their body language.

"Stay in my line of sight Carl," Lori commanded. "And you too Sara."

The three children nodded as they cautiously opened a car door.

* * *

><p>Shane walked into the woods. He had to take a piss. He was furious with the entire world. After everything that he had been through, now he had to lose her. He had lost his town, his home, Lori and Carl, although the two weren't exactly his to begin with. Still, he had finally been able to replace his feelings for Lori and now he was going to lose the woman who had them.<p>

What in the world did he do to deserve that?

"Fuck everything," he snapped to no one. He was alone and that's what he wanted.

Shane set his shotgun down as he peed. She was clearly getting worse and in such a short time. A former member of their group had gotten bit once. It took him at least a couple of days before he got really bad. Shane shook his head as he thought. He couldn't even remember the man's name anymore. It wasn't too long ago, but what was the use of remembering a name of a dead man?

When he finished he looked for his shotgun then panicked. It wasn't where he had left it. He looked up and spotted a woman holding the weapon. Most of her hair covered her face as her gloved hands lightly traced the weapon.

"That's mine," he said as fear ran down his body. He tried to push the emotions away, but there was something very wrong. He had been too busy thinking to hear her approach. She could have been a walker.

She wore dark blue jeans, a black hoodie and long gloves. Her entire body was covered from head to toe with clothes, despite the heat. Her stringy dirty blonde hair came out of her hoodie. But she wasn't a walker. She didn't act like one.

Ever so slowly, she looked up at him. "No," he whispered as his voice cracked. Her face was the same, only slightly decayed. His Lilli was now one of them. "Shit," he whispered. "Oh, Lilli." His voice cracked again as he shook his head in anger.

"Rick!" Lori's scream echoed through the forest.

Lilli turned and ran in the direction of the scream. Shane quickly followed her. He couldn't let her hurt his group. And there was another reason. She was his Lilli and he had to be the one to kill her.

* * *

><p>Lilli woke up with a start. She felt refreshed and renewed. Her arm still hurt from the bite, but her body no longer felt as if it were on fire. She looked around and frowned. The RV was stopped and no one was inside. Warily, Lilli made her way out of the RV. The bright day hurt her eyes and she blinked a few times.<p>

No one paid attention to her as most of the group cleared the road in front of the RV.

She smiled as she stretched. She felt incredible. Was she really immune? Lilli opened her mouth to shout for Shane when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Her entire body froze. "No," she whispered as she saw the woman in white with long blonde hair make her way toward the children. She walked normally as if she were human. The two mothers didn't notice her and neither did the children. Lilli couldn't shout a warning. Instead, she ran.

Lori caught Lilli running out of the corner of her eye and looked at her. "No!" Lori shouted. She thought that Lilli was going to attack one of the children. "Rick!" she screamed.

Lilli ran past the kids and jumped into the air, attacking the woman instead. Lilli's hand slammed into the woman's face and the two fell onto the ground. Lilli didn't stay long on the ground as she rolled back onto her feet and kicked the fallen woman.

"Rick!" Lori shouted again as she grabbed Carl and Sara's hands and pulled them back.

The woman in white grabbed Lilli's leg and threw her against a car. Lilli screamed in pain as she collapsed onto the ground. The woman was instantly on her and pulled her up by the neck. She slammed her against the windshield then dragged her onto the ground and pulled her back up by the neck. Lilli's hands clawed at the woman's face as she struggled to scream.

"Hey!" Rick shouted as he aimed his rifle at the woman in white. "Let her go."

The woman slowly turned and looked at Rick.

"Oh shit," he whispered when he spotted her red eyes. The woman pulled back and slammed Lilli against the car again, causing the windows to shatter. Rick shot at her.

The bullet hit the woman in the throat, and she fell to the ground dead. Lilli groaned in pain as she tried to move. Rick rushed over to her then shouted in surprise as the dead woman lunged at him. Her strength was incredible and she easily pulled the rifle out of his hands.

Lori screamed again as the woman stood up with the rifle in hand. The woman looked at the weapon with curiosity then mimicked Rick's stance. She aimed the weapon at Rick and he raised her arms in surrender. Another scream, almost warrior like, echoed from the woods. The woman turned and was hit across the face by the barrel of a shotgun.

"Jess," Lilli muttered in surprise as her sister attacked the woman in white. Rick grabbed Lilli and pulled her to her feet.

The woman in white and Jess snarled as they bit the air and clawed at each other. They acted like two wild animals. The weapons lay on the ground, forgotten.

Lilli found herself being pulled away from Rick and into someone else's arms. She looked at Shane in surprise. He lifted her off the ground and carried her back to the RV.

"Let's get out of here!" Rick commanded as the group quickly made their way to their respective cars.

Lilli looked over Shane's shoulder and watched as the two women fought each other. "Run, Jessi! We're safe now," Lilli shouted.

Jessi looked up at her for a brief moment and it appeared as if she smiled.

"Eve, no!" Lilli screamed, but it was too late. Eve grabbed Jess's head and slammed her down onto the pavement. Lilli heard the horrible cracking of skull hitting pavement. Lilli knew she was screaming as her sister officially died before her. The same creature that had turned her had killed her. "I will fuckin' murder you!" Lilli screamed as Shane pushed her into the RV.

Lilli felt the RV move from under her and she weakly pounded on Shane's chest. He didn't move as he let her. She shuddered as the last of her adrenaline was spent, and collapsed. Shane caught her and put her on the bed.

"Why?" Lilli asked, even though she knew he didn't know. "Jess knew. She knew that Eve was going to kill her. Why the fuck didn't she run away? I'm alone now." She cried into his chest as he hugged her. She felt empty and alone.

* * *

><p>"Unbelievable," Dale said as they drove down a dirt road. They had followed the coordinates that the message had given them and it led then outside of a small town and down a dirt road. There was a large wall that was still being built. They could see it from half a mile away. It seemed that for at least half a mile, surrounding the wall, everything had been flattened. There weren't even small trees around.<p>

This gave the people on top of the wall the ability to see what was coming at them from a safe distance.

Rick spotted soldier on top of the wall and the giant gate opened as two vehicles made their way toward the little convoy. Rick slowed the RV to a halt as did the other cars. Soldiers stepped out of their vehicles and motioned for Rick and his people to stay inside theirs. Three soldiers made their way toward Rick and positioned themselves outside of the driver's window.

"Howdy," Rick couldn't help but say. "We're so happy to see a place like this. We're…"

"Going back to wherever you came from," the leader interrupted. "We don't have space for you."

"Look!" Dale said. "We have women and children and some injured. Please, we've been driving just to get here."

The leader looked at the old man and shrugged. "Not my problem," he said callously.

"We have enough food to feed ourselves for a while," Rick said, trying to persuade the soldier otherwise.

Shane tried to stop Lilli as she made her way over to the front of the RV and revealed herself to the soldier. If anyone could hurt their chances of getting in it was her. She had refused them in helping her dress her wounds. Instead, the dry blood from her battle with Eve was still on her face, arms, and body. It was impossible to tell if she had been bitten or not. And if these people were picky then they would not allow her to enter if she was.

"We were attacked by the progenitor," she said.

The soldier narrowed his eyes. "What the fuck are you talking about?" he snarled, but there was something about his expression that made it clear that he knew what Lilli was saying.

Shane grabbed Lilli, but she shook him off. "We were attacked by the first walker," she simply said. "Patient zero. Crazy bitch. Diablo in female form. Call her what you want."

"Bullshit," the officer snarled.

Lilli grabbed onto Rick's chair and leaned closer. "We were attacked by Eve Bennett. And we'll tell you her location only if you let us inside."

"Was anyone bit?" the soldier quickly asked.

Lilli shook her head.

He stepped away and talked rapidly into his walkie. He nodded then motioned for them to enter as the gate opened up for them.

"Good lie," Shane commented.

Lilli fell back and Shane grabbed her. "It wasn't a lie," Lilli whispered.

"We're going to have to tell them that you've been bit," Dale said as he looked at Lilli.

"No!" Shane said. "They'll kill her or experiment on her."

"Then why are we here?" Dale demanded. "Either way, they're going to examine her. She can barely stand."

Lilli placed her hand on Shane and smiled a brave smile. "I'll be alright," she whispered. "Whatever happens…" she stopped and let out a whimper. "I love you, Shane," she finally admitted.

Shane grabbed her hands and held them tightly. It was clear hugging her hurt. And he couldn't kiss her because of the blood.

Rick tried his best to ignore their conversation, but he couldn't. His hands clenched the steering wheel. He didn't have much time to think of a plan to keep Lilli safe.

Finally, they stopped. Soldiers surrounded them and held their guns ready to attack just in case.

"I'll go first and make arrangements," Rick said as he looked at Lilli. "Stay here till I give the okay."

Shane nodded as he pressed Lilli closer to him.

Cautiously, everyone stepped out of their cars. It was clear that they were uneasy. Eve's attack had caused everyone to hastily enter whatever car they could. Sara had been pulled into the truck with Daryl and Lucy. She threw the door open and quickly ran toward the RV.

"Sara!" Lucy screamed as she tried to grab the little girl, but her hand barely missed her.

The soldiers immediately raised their weapons as the girl ran.

"She's just a child!" Rick shouted as he grabbed Sara and pushed her behind him. The soldiers slowly lowered their guns. Suddenly, Sara pulled away from Rick as her eyes widened.

"Grandpa!" she shouted as she ran toward a man wearing a lab coat.

"Lower your weapons!" The man shouted as he ran toward his granddaughter. She jumped into the air and they hugged. Rick let out a sigh of relief. Were they really that lucky?

Sara cried as the man brushed her hair with his hands. "Sara!" he exclaimed as he hugged her again. It was clear that he couldn't believe she was actually there.

Rick's smile quickly lowered when he spotted Lilli. She slipped and nearly fell onto the hard pavement. It was clear that her fight with Eve had taken a bigger toll on her body than she had let on. Rick didn't look at the soldiers as he rushed for her. He had to be by her side to protect her from them, just in case.

"Dammit, Lils!" Shane shouted from inside the RV. The soldiers spotted her and quickly raised their weapons.

Lilli muttered something as she took a step toward the scientist. He looked up and spotted her. "Medic!" he shouted. "Lower your weapons, fuckwits!"

"Daddy!" she screamed as she used the last of her strength to run at him. She could barely reach him and he caught her as she fell to the ground.

"Lils!" He cried out and held her close.

"She did it," Lilli cried. Tears streamed down her face.

"What?" he asked.

"She killed Jessi," she cried. A group of doctors ran out with a gurney in tow. They quickly placed her on the gurney. Lilli murmured something as her eyes glazed over. The people around her rushed as they put needles into her arm and began to cut away her clothes.

"What's her name?" the lead female doctor asked. "Alex?"

"Lilli. Lilli Bennett," he replied as tears streamed down his face.

"Lilli, can you hear me?" the female asked as she opened the young woman's eyes. "I need you to stay conscious. Lilli!"

Lilli's hand shot out and she grabbed her father's coat. "She killed Jess. Mom killed Jessi," she said forcefully. Then her hand dropped as they placed a mask of oxygen over her mouth. Her body began to convulse as the doctor began to scream orders at her people. They rushed toward one of the buildings.

Dr. Bennett grabbed his granddaughter's hand and quickly followed the group and his daughter.

"Get them checked out and settled in!" he commanded the soldiers, not bothering to look back at anyone.

Shane started toward them when he was stopped by one of the soldiers. "You will all go in there to be checked out by some of our other doctors! If anyone is bit tell us now," another soldier commanded.

"What about Lilli? Where are they taking her?" Shane snarled.

"We need to make sure that you are all alright and then we can answer any questions that you may have," the other soldier answered.

Rick grabbed his friend's shoulder. "Come on, Shane," he whispered.

Shane allowed Rick to pull him away but he couldn't help but worry. Would they be able to save Lilli?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Quiet honestly, I've been waiting and waiting to post this chapter. It's was the reason why I wrote the story. The scenes just came to mind. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. I put my characters through so much stuff. More answers coming up. **

**PlaneJane21 – I'm glad that my story has got you interested. Yes, I'm one of those who loves different types of zombies. I got the smart idea from "We're Alive" the podcast. Great podcast! I just tweaked their idea.**


	13. To Capture Eve

Shane paced back and forth. He cursed himself for being so stupid. What if the group had killed Lilli? No one was giving him any information. Even Sara had disappeared. That worried Shane more than anything else. The little girl hadn't been injured or bitten. No one else in Shane's group had been taken away.

He hadn't overheard the conversation between the three. All he saw was Sara clinging to Dr. Bennett's jacket and Lilli on the ground. Rick had told him later that Dr. Bennett was Sara's grandfather, which meant that he was Lilli's father. But that didn't mean that the man could keep Lilli safe.

It was only last night that they had arrived at Haven. That's what the little town was called. It was a unique and amazing little town. There were only three buildings, two apartment buildings and another set aside for the scientists. There was another area set aside for farming. No one in Rick's group had been able to enter the area. But it was clear that everyone had a job to do in the town. No one was idol.

Shane stopped pacing and clenched his fists. He had had enough of standing around and doing nothing. He needed answers. He started to head toward the front door when Rick grabbed his arm. Angrily, Shane pulled away.

"Just give them a little more time," Rick said, trying to calm his friend down.

"It's been almost a day and I've heard nothing," Shane snapped back. "I need to know if she's dead or…"

"Shane!" Sara let out a shout as she pushed the door open. She quickly hugged him and he gladly returned her hug. "Grandpa!" she said as she turned and looked at Alex. "This is Shane."

The older man casually walked into the room and nodded his head.

"Sir," Shane said with a courteous nod. For some unknown reason he was suddenly nervous. He felt like a teen meeting the parents of his girlfriend.

Dr. Alex Bennett was a sexy man for his age. He was clearly fit and had a commanding presence about him. He wore normal civilian clothes, but had a gun holstered on his belt. The man assessed Shane with his eyes, before he reached out his hand. "Pleasure," he said in a deep voice.

Shane accepted his hand and let out a small smile. Alex turned to Rick and shook his hand as well.

"Mr. Grimes," Sara said as she looked at Rick. "Where is Carl?"

Rick smiled and let out a chuckle. "He's with Sophia and the couple of other children at the little school."

Sara looked at her grandfather who nodded his head. "Down the hall and second door to your right," he said.

Sara smiled as she raced to join the other children, leaving Alex, Rick and Shane behind.

"How is she?" Shane asked, getting straight to the point.

"Follow me," he said with a deep sigh. The two followed him as he walked outside. He went to the building that they had taken Lilli inside. Two military soldiers stood guard inside and nodded to Alex as they walked by.

Shane found it strange that the soldiers were armed inside of the building. Alex opened the door to the stairway and they began walking upstairs.

"We converted this building as a mini hospital," he said. He was quite for the next five flights and finally opened the door to the top floor. "They aren't smart," he said as they started to walk down the hall.

One of the doors open and a woman in a bloody lab coat walked out. She had a mask over her face and nodded to Alex before giving the other two a questioning look. She held her gloved hands up that were red with blood.

Alex ignored the woman as another doctor opened another door for the woman.

"What was that?" Rick couldn't help but ask. Alex ignored his question as he finally opened a door. For Shane, the all too familiar sound of hospital machinery invaded his mind.

Lilli lay on a hospital bed. Glass seemed to be between them and her. It was quite clear that the only way into her room was from another door that was in the back.

"Plexiglass," Alex admitted as he tapped the glass in front of them.

"How did you get it?" Rick asked.

"It was not easy," Alex tried to make light of it, but his voice fell flat.

"Lilli," Shane whispered as he touched the glass. He flattened his palm against it and lightly banged his forehead as he closed his eyes. It reminded of him of when he first saw Rick after the man had been shot. Only, at least then he didn't have a glass wall in-between him and his friend. He could still touch him.

"Is… is she one of them?" Shane finally asked. His voice cracked as he tensed in anticipation of the answer that he believed was coming.

"No," Alex said, surprising both men. They looked at him with a frown.

"But she was bit." Rick couldn't stop himself and looked slightly horrified by what he had said.

Alex nodded his head.

"So you have the cure," Shane said in excitement.

Alex shook his head. "No," he said.

"I don't understand," Shane growled.

Alex looked at his daughter then sighed. "It was because of the message. We _did_ have a vaccine. As long as you weren't fully turned then it would fight the virus and win. Unfortunately, about a month ago, another group came here looking for it. We weren't as… selective, then. We let them inside. There were only a few. We would have given them some of the vials if they had asked. Instead, they chose to fight."

The two men looked at him in surprise.

Alex shrugged. "Maybe they thought that we wouldn't give them any. Or make them pay a high price. Either way, they were killed. But we didn't realize that they had the vials on them. Everything was destroyed."

Shane's face contorted with anger. "So she's as good as dead?" he snarled.

Alex shook his head. "I put her in a coma. She has a few days before the virus kills her. You are her only hope now," he said. "We have the ability to make more of the cure, but we need the purest source. You have to get Eve."

The two men looked at him in surprise. Neither had heard Lilli's revelation to her father.

"Who is Eve?" Rick asked.

Alex was confused as he looked at each man. "Didn't she tell you?" he asked.

They shook their head.

Alex sighed as he sat in a chair. He rubbed his chin and exhaled before he continued. "Eve Bennett was my wife."

"But she died giving birth to Lilli and her siblings," Shane quickly interjected. "How can she still be around?" It didn't make sense to him. She should have been dead for almost thirty years. Were the dead really rising from that long ago? There was no way. She would have been severely decomposed if not basically a skeleton.

Alex looked at him then nodded. "She did die then," he said. "But… It shouldn't have worked, but I had her body frozen. I figured that I could bring her back from the dead. I was right, but I didn't think of what I would bring back."

He took in a deep breath before he continued. "My lab in Minnesota was being shut down. I decided to have her flown to Georgia. But before I did, I tested her with a new virus. It didn't work, or at least, I didn't think it did. I knew something was wrong when we didn't reach the pilots. I had Michael check in on my daughter. I was afraid that if Eve came back to life then she would head straight home. It was the home that I had lived with her when we were married. I was right. I didn't know the destruction that she could cause. By the time I could get any sort of plan ready it was too late. The virus spread quickly through bites and no one knew what was happening until it was too late."

"So you caused this?" Shane asked.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever been so in love with someone that you would do anything for them? Even break the laws of God by bringing back the dead?"

Shane didn't answer. He didn't know.

Rick shook his head. "It's still wrong," he said.

Alex nodded. "And I've had to live with the consequences of my actions. Two of my three children are dead and millions of people across the world. But… you have a chance to save many. I need Eve in my possession, alive."

Shane snorted.

"We've tried to come up with an effect cure with every other test subject," Alex quickly added. He eyed Shane and it was clear that he knew both men didn't believe him. "None of them work very well or for very long. We need the purest form and it is her. Do you think I would mess around when my daughter's life is hanging in the balance?" he snarled.

Both men shook their heads.

Alex sighed as he stood up and looked at his daughter. "From what I hear, you know where she last was. I will send six of my soldiers with you and whoever in your group who wants to go with you. Do what you have to to keep her restrained so she doesn't bite you, but I need her as alive as possible." Alex looked at Rick then at Shane. "Will you do this?"

"Of course," Shane responded, not looking back at Alex or Rick.

Rick nodded his head.

"We have wasted enough time," Alex said. "My men are ready. We cannot let another hour pass by. You must leave to the area that she was last seen."

Shane didn't bother to look at Rick or Alex as he pushed away from the plexiglass and headed out of the building. He was ready to leave, but he needed a favor.

* * *

><p>It seemed to take less time to get back to the site then it did to get to Haven. Along with the six military soldiers were Rick, Shane and Daryl. Shane had gone to Daryl as soon as he finished talking with Alex. Although he would never admit it out loud, he knew he needed Daryl's expertise. Out of everyone Shane knew Daryl was the best huntsman. Even though the others were military, Shane could not trust them with finding this creature.<p>

Daryl motioned for Shane and the other military personal to follow him. The group had split up into teams of two except for one group of three. Shane had to go along with Daryl. There was one thing that Shane was thankful for. They each had military grade weapons and gear. Daryl didn't wear the military uniform that he was offered. He was used to running around in his clothes and knew that the added material would hamper his movement.

The female soldier held her machete ready to attack anything that came at them. They also had guns, but those were to be used as a last resort.

There was one thing that had bothered Shane when they reached the spot that Eve had attacked them. Jess's body was nowhere to be found. Daryl had shown were there were drag marks, but then they just disappeared at the edge of the road. Had Jess been able to get up and leave? Shane had caught a quick glimpse of the sister when Lilli was fighting him. There was no doubt in his mind that she was truly dead. Her skull had been smashed in and part of her brain was on the road. Did this virus make her impervious to that kind of wound?

Daryl stopped in his tracks and crouched as he motioned ahead. Shane and the soldier took out their weapons and looked through the scope to get a better look. There was a person sitting a chair beside a dead campfire. Shane knew who it was. He recognized her clothing, even though her hoodie covered her face. It was Jess. Her body was slumped on the chair and flies buzzed around her. She didn't move.

The military woman picked up a rock and threw it at the body. She hit it on the side of the head, and Jess fell to the ground.

"I think she's dead," the woman said.

The two men nodded in agreement as they slowly approached the dead body. How did she get over there?

Shane crouched next to the body and lifted the hoodie. It was now difficult to see the facial similarities between the two sisters due to the decomposition. "I think Alex will want us to bring her back," Shane stated.

"Why?" the woman asked, a bit skeptical.

"She's his daughter," Shane replied.

"Aww hell," the woman said in an annoyed voice as she called one of her teams to their location.

"Huh," Daryl said as he started to wander down a trail.

Shane opened his mouth to call out to Daryl when chills ran down his spine. He quickly turned and froze. She was just inches away from his body. How had she snuck up on them so easily? He had seen her strength and speed. He had to play his cards right in order not to get bit.

He saw now the resemblance that Lilli and Eve had. Although Eve had blonde hair, her mouth was the same as Lilli's.

She cocked her head to one side as she looked at Shane.

"Hello Eve," Shane heard himself saying. He wanted to smack his head with his palm. Why did he say that?

She looked at him curiously. Was she not attacking because he was showing no fear? There were too many questions running through his head. It was difficult for him to think. Suddenly, the creature screamed in anger and she covered her ears with her hands. Shane started to hear it, too. There was a high pitch noise, but it didn't bother him.

"Move!" the soldier shouted.

Shane didn't have to be told twice as he jumped back.

Eve let out ghoulish screams and moans as she tried to stop the noise.

Suddenly, a rope wrapped around her body and pulled tight. She grew angry and snapped at the air as she charged for Shane. The female soldier threw another rope around Eve and moved to another side as another rope dropped on her.

"Careful!" Shane shouted as the three wrestled with the creature.

She lunged and pulled, trying to get away from the things that confined her. But the soldiers were fast and, apparently, ready for her movements. She tried to bite them as one soldier neared her. He pulled out a roll of duct tape and quickly began to wrap it around her face. Shane would have found it comical if he wasn't so tense.

It took them more than an hour to get back to the cars. She fought them the entire way through. She was strong and the three people pulling her had to constantly switch. She seemed to quickly realize that they were going to take her to an area that she didn't want to go to. Even so, it was quite apparent that she didn't possess the faculties to get herself out of the mess she was in.

Shane's body was tired by the time they reached the cars. He had refused to switch for most of the journey. It was for Lilli that they were undertaking such a dangerous path. And he felt that he had to do his part if not more.

They secured Eve in the back of a hummer. It was clear that the hummer itself had been converted to hold walkers. Shane got into the passenger seat of the hummer while another soldier took the driver's seat.

Shane looked back at Eve as she struggled, trying to get out of her bindings. It was nearly impossible. She was wrapped up as tightly as a spider wrapping their food. His body was still tense, despite being safe. There was only one thing that he could hope for now, that they would make it on time to save Lilli.


	14. All His

Shane stood there staring as Dr. Bennett set fire to the funeral pyre. It was one way to make sure that the walkers never came back to life. Along the wall, and safely covered from the weather, were pictures of everyone who had been lost or presumed dead. Her picture had already been added.

Sara wrapped her arms around her grandfather's waist as she cried. Lucy leaned against Daryl and wiped her face as she looked away. Shane couldn't help but wish Lilli could lean against him.

A hand wrapped around Shane's and a head was pressed lightly against it. "When she looked at me, I knew," the ever familiar voice said softly. "She knew something was wrong with her and she didn't want to live like that."

Shane crouched so that he was leveled with Lilli. He kissed her before she wiped her tears away.

They had made it on time. Alex wasn't kidding when he said that all they needed was Eve's blood. Not even a day passed before Lilli was conscious. But, the cure didn't mean that her body healed instantly. She sat in a wheelchair. Her body was still too weak to allow her to walk and stand for a long period of time.

Her father had said it would take time for her to heal. It was clear that she didn't like that. She was already out of bed, despite the protests from everyone. Shane loved and hated her stubbornness. It just meant that it would take longer for her to heal. Which meant that it would take longer for her to be able to be completely in his arms.

Shane bit his lip when he thought of what he would do to her once her injures healed. "Ouch," he hissed as he lightly rubbed his shoulder. She had punched him.

"It's my sister's funeral you're thinking dirty!" she whispered rapidly. Although she looked angry, her eyes danced with mischief.

"Grandpa said you are supposed to be in bed, Aunt Lilli!" Sara placed herself in front of the two and put her hands on her hips.

Lilli laughed then frowned in pain. "Don't make me laugh," she muttered as she shook her head.

"I'm glad we made it on time," Rick said as he put his hand on Lilli's shoulder.

She looked up at him and smiled. "I haven't been able to thank you or Daryl. You guys didn't have too. You risked your lives. Thank you," she said.

Daryl shrugged as he grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her away with him. He wasn't used to people thanking him, and he didn't care for the attention.

Lucy smiled at her friend before she let Daryl drag her away. There would be plenty of time to talk later.

"Well, it's a good thing that they went. Now we have a cure for when we get bit," Lori said, trying to sound comforting.

"We've started working on a way to make it permanent," Alex said as he walked over to them.

The "cure" was a temporary thing. It fought and killed the virus that was in the host, but didn't last long. Alex was confident that he and his team would find way to make it a permanent cure so that no one would have to worry about being bit. But, at least they had something.

"What did I do to deserve such brave people in my life?" Lilli asked as she looked at Shane then at Rick.

Rick chuckled. "I think we should ask that question," he replied. "If it weren't for you then we wouldn't have found this Haven. That not only keeps us safe from the walkers, but also has a cure."

"Let's go, baby," Lori whispered as she tugged at her husband. He nodded his head and waved to the others before following his wife.

"I'm going to take her back to her room," Shane told Alex. He felt a little intimidated around the man. It was quite clear that Alex was the leader of Haven. As soon as the team returned from capturing Eve, they immediately followed all of Alex's orders. And it didn't help that Alex was Lilli's father. He felt that he had to give the man a good impression.

Alex gave Shane a nod and grabbed Sara's hand as she tried to follow. Shane was grateful. Neither he nor Lilli had had much time to be able to talk. There was so much to say, and at the same time there was a lot of time to be able to say it. But Shane didn't want to risk anything. Life was short, and this new world was quick to show it.

"Shane?" Lilli asked as he wheeled her back to the makeshift hospital.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Thank you for everything," she said. "You didn't have to go out there and find Eve. You could have left me to my fate when Michael bit me. But you didn't."

Shane stopped pushing the wheelchair and crouched so that he was eye to eye with her. "I didn't have too," he said with a nod of his head. "But… I've lost enough. Family, friends… lovers. I can't… I can't see myself with anyone else. You keep me from going down that dark path. You balance me, Lilli Bennett. So we're even." Ever so gently, he kissed her on the lips. He hated to see the bruises from her fight with Eve and Michael. But they would heal.

Shane stood up and started to push her again.

"Well," she said after a brief moment of silence. "I hope you don't think I'm going to stay safe behind these walls. There are still plenty of adventures to be had out there. And plenty of people to rescue. Eve is gone, but there have to be more of her other 'children' out there. They are more dangerous than the walkers."

Shane let out a loud sigh as he shook his head. "You ain't even healed yet and you're thinking about going out there and kicking ass?" It was a rhetorical question. "Fine," he said. "But I ain't going to let you go out there alone. We'll be together and work as a team."

She didn't answer as he wheeled her into her room that was on the first floor. They had moved her, since she was no longer a threat. Gently, Shane picked Lilli up and placed her on her bed. Only a few more days and she would be allowed to sleep in her own bed.

Lilli reached her good arm back and grabbed his hand. "I'll let you come with me," she said with a nod of her head. "You aren't too bad."

"Too bad?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "If you weren't injured I'd show you how bad I can be." His free hand lightly ran up her leg then went under her shirt. She let out a chuckle as she pushed his hand away. Ever so gently, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "But this will have to do for now," he said in a soft voice.

"For now," she teased.

"Just one thing, Lilli," he said seriously. She seemed surprised by his sudden change of mood. "No more lies to me."

Lilli blinked twice before she nodded. "But that goes to you, too," she said.

He nodded and lightly kissed her lips. "Will you marry me, Lilli Bennett?" he whispered in her ear.

She looked at him, surprised by his question then shook her head. "Is that any way to propose?" she asked. Her voice was pitched higher by her surprise. "No ring? No surprise? Just all of a sudden will you marry me?"

He didn't react as he waited for her response. "Well?" he asked.

She waited for a minute then shook her head. "Nope," she said.

"And why not? Sounds like it's something we should…"

"Shane, I may be a girl who likes to be spontaneous. And, yes, I did nearly die and all, but… You'll have to be very very good and propose to me in a decent way." Her eyes sparkled with mischief, but her face was serious.

"And what if I was very very bad?" he lowered his voice seductively.

"You're mean," she cooed then frowned. "I really can't wait to get better now."

Shane laughed as he kissed her lips again. He knew that there would be trials and tribulations. He would find himself fighting with her. She had a free spirit. But they would make up in the end. The world was new, and it was theirs. He was no longer afraid of the walkers. The one thing that they had was now no longer something he needed to fear. But most importantly, Lilli was alive, safe, and all his.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The ending snuck up on me. I didn't realize I was so close to finishing this story until the previous chapter. I finished writing and then was like "Huh… that's it". Hope you guys have enjoyed. I'm planning on writing another WD story. It's actually in the works, but I wanted to finish this story before I started posting that one. I should have it up by the end of this week. Hope you enjoyed this story and thanks for sticking with me.**


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